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furryprincess69's review against another edition
3.5
The start of the book was great and kept me wanting more, and throughout the book I was kept satisfied, but not satiated. I would recommend it for light reading but possibly not something to take too seriously, which is unfortunate because I started to love this book.
As I read more, I found myself questioning what was happening and why. The idea of each chapter focusing on a different beast was great in theory, but in my opinion poorly executed as after the third chapter I found myself hoping that the next one would be better. This will be a book I find myself returning to in the future in the original Chinese, as I’m hoping the translation didn’t do it justice, although the plot just felt very empty as it felt like a series of short stories trying to be a coherent story/novel. If it had kept solely to short stories that were linked, I feel I could’ve been left with less of a bad taste in my mouth.
As I read more, I found myself questioning what was happening and why. The idea of each chapter focusing on a different beast was great in theory, but in my opinion poorly executed as after the third chapter I found myself hoping that the next one would be better. This will be a book I find myself returning to in the future in the original Chinese, as I’m hoping the translation didn’t do it justice, although the plot just felt very empty as it felt like a series of short stories trying to be a coherent story/novel. If it had kept solely to short stories that were linked, I feel I could’ve been left with less of a bad taste in my mouth.
theeuphoriczat's review
4.0
Loved it a lot more than I expected. I appreciated the themes on death, influence, moral dilemmas, perceptions and fate and most importantly human relationship with the supernatural or unnatural.
manolitagafotas's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
crystalroses68's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ingari's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
catlislibrary's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Heartbreakingly noir yet playfully imaginative, Strange Beasts of China is magical realism at its best. From the start, I was arrested by Ge’s creativity. But it’s the novel’s eccentric exploration of humanity and what it means to be human (or beast) that captured my heart.
caldridge's review
dark
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
3.25