Scan barcode
lilcoppertop's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sinelit's review against another edition
5.0
hayatımda okuduğum en farklı kitaplardan biriydi. bir yandan büyülü gerçekçi gibi ama tam da değil, anlattığı şeylere sürreal değil gayet doğal olaylarmış havası vererek yazmış mo yan. bir toprak ağasının öldükten sonra eşek, boğa, domuz, köpek ve maymun olarak reenkarne olması çok doğal, normal ve gerçekçi bir şeymiş gibi okudum, ve müthiş keyifliydi. kitap, rafta durduğu üç senedir korkmamın saçma kalacağı kadar da akıcıydı. buna ek olarak çin kültürüne dair tonla şey öğrendim, ufkum açıldı, o da okur olarak benim açımdan bir artı puan. bir de yazarın kendini bir karakter olarak -ve durmadan aşağılayarak- kitaba eklemesi çok eğlenceliydi. tek tük beğenmediğim şey oldu ama böyle bir kitaba uyduruk eleştirilerimi getirmek istemedim şu an.
carolinefaireymeese's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This took months to get through, but I’m proud I persevered. The tone and narrative focus subtly shifted through each of the reincarnations, and an impressive collection of side characters get to live full lives throughout the Cultural Revolution as times and morals and relationships change, yet the ultimate conclusion about Ximen Nao’s soul is that he retains his selfishness and ego.
flappermyrtle's review against another edition
3.0
I must owe that I enjoyed this book a lot more than I enjoyed the one before it that I had to read for my political fictions course. It takes some getting used to, because it is, as one of my friends here very accurately described it, bananas. Still, due to the Chinese name and sometimes the proliferation of characters, I lost track of who´s who every now and then. Mo Yan does some interesting things with his narrative, as well has his characterisation of humans as animals and vice versa. The final book, however, did not satisfy me - it's written in a different style, by a different narrator, and I simply did not like it.
pillowbook1002's review against another edition
4.0
I sometimes wonder what it would take to truly forgive this world, from the bottom of your heart. How much pain? How much love? How many lifetimes? What do you think, old donkey? From your face, I can tell you're closer to the answer than I am.
liwayway0219's review against another edition
5.0
literally underrated because I see nobody talking about this book
hestonhoffman's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
msaari's review against another edition
3.0
A magical tale of a family and the Chinese history from 1950s to 2000, told by the main protagonist, who is killed on the page two and then reincarnated as a donkey, an ox, a pig, a dog, an ape and finally as a human. A reader is taken through all the different reforms and revolutions, with plenty of amusing metafiction on top. An interesting story, that is.