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laurareads87's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Strange Beasts of China follows an unnamed narrator who writes about beasts: creatures of various kinds who inhabit the city of Yong'an and who are different in some way but 'otherwise are just the same as humans.' Each chapter relates the story of one type of beast, while also touching on the relationships between the narrator and other characters, particularly her professor and his assistant. The whole book has a sort of eerie, mysterious tone, and the writing is beautiful. The author addresses many themes -- labour exploitation, gendered oppression, urban alienation, grief -- in nuanced ways. I will say I did like the beginning of the book more than the ending, and the 'twists' at the end felt abrupt and a bit out of place, but overall I really enjoyed this and would happily read more from the same author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Suicide, Violence, Misogyny, Death, Medical content, Sexism, Grief, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Cannibalism
saint_eleanor's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is so beautiful and interesting, i think it could have greatly benefited from like just one illustration!! The language was super descriptive but i was so curious about the author’s intended visions. Also prepare yourself for the main character vomiting every 5 seconds. The only thing was that, maybe because it was translated from the original language, some of the Aha-moments did not register with me the way i could tell they were supposed to. Otherwise definitely read this!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Genocide, Death of parent, Misogyny, Gore, and Child death
fiveredhens's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
there were a lot of places where i couldn't follow what was going on at all and the writing was a bit... stilted i guess? i think some nuance and flow were lost in translation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Alcohol, and Body horror
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Racism, and Vomit
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
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