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brynebo's review against another edition
3.0
My would-be sister-in-law recommended this book to me. Had it not been her, I may not have made it all the way through, but I'm glad I did. It wasn't the best book I've ever read but with the notoriety of the movie, I am glad I am no longer totally ignorant of the story. In the end it was a somewhat slow, though better written, politically complicated treasure hunt not unlike others of its kind.
katrinky's review against another edition
2.0
I have NO idea who gave me this book, which makes it extra mysterious because it's about a 36 year-old American woman who speaks Chinese and sponges accents and wants to belong. the books is EXTREMELY time-bound to 1998, in its sex scenes and gender politics and racial commentary, none of which look great in 2022. the best thing I will say about it is that it made me nostalgic for all of the Oprah's book club books I was devouring in 1998, of which this absolutely could have been one. just a lot of weird "heart of a woman" narratives that I could not get enough of.
anyway, I will almost certainly forget everything about this book, and that's ok.
anyway, I will almost certainly forget everything about this book, and that's ok.
halfcentreader's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the interaction between the characters in this story. Very real and sympathetic characters. By the end of the story, I wanted to follow Alice and Shiyang further.
judylansky's review against another edition
5.0
Nicole Mones does an amazing job weaving a story, history, and Chinese cultural together in a brilliant novel. I loved the storyline and was entranced by Alice's life. This is the first book I read from a modern Chinese culture perspective and I was impressed by Mones' ability to show how Chinese viewed foreigners. It reminded me of the prejudice many Americans posses.
suannelaqueur's review against another edition
4.0
The key to the novel's success is Mones's in-depth knowledge of China's culture, history, and politics. The question of cultural identity is at the core of her tale, and she skillfully weaves various aspects of Chinese lifeÑfrom ancestor worship to the Cultural RevolutionÑinto the personal relationships of her characters. By novel's end, readers have discovered a great deal about archeology, China, and most especially about the unmapped territories of memory, desire, and identity. Very entertaining and interesting.
indistilling's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
leeahsmestad's review against another edition
4.0
I made the mistake of reading this book one chapter at a time before bed. This book deserves to be read in one sitting with some warm liquids and a cozy blanket. What a great adventure for our Mo Ai-Li
pamelas's review against another edition
4.0
A thoroughly enjoyable book that combines two great interests of mine: China and archeology. Set in modern China, the story involves a little mystery, a little history and a little love story. I found myself zipping through this book--well-written, easy to read, compelling story.
jennybellium's review against another edition
3.0
Please do not be put off by the title of this book; Nicole Mones's novel has no relation whatsoever to the plotless modern movie. Picked up from the used-book section of Barnes & Noble, Lost in Translation tells the story of a disenchanted American, daughter to a racist congressman, who fled to China to immerse herself in this foreign world.
It opens with the protagonist, Alice Mannegan, serially persuing Chinese men to sleep with. As a translater estranged from her American upbringing, Alice desperately wants to become Chinese-- and seems only to achieve it while engaged in sex.
The story becomes less a 25-cent romance novel with the arrival of an American archaeologist who journeyed to China to recover the long-lost bones of Peking Man. Peking Man, the first (and most complete) Homo erectus specimen ever found in China, was mysteriously lost in the days leading up to WWII. This American archaeologist, Adam Spencer, believes that Peking Man was hidden in the Mongolian desert by the Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
Thus begins an archaeological adventure story.
It opens with the protagonist, Alice Mannegan, serially persuing Chinese men to sleep with. As a translater estranged from her American upbringing, Alice desperately wants to become Chinese-- and seems only to achieve it while engaged in sex.
The story becomes less a 25-cent romance novel with the arrival of an American archaeologist who journeyed to China to recover the long-lost bones of Peking Man. Peking Man, the first (and most complete) Homo erectus specimen ever found in China, was mysteriously lost in the days leading up to WWII. This American archaeologist, Adam Spencer, believes that Peking Man was hidden in the Mongolian desert by the Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
Thus begins an archaeological adventure story.
florapants84's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second Mones book, and I've decided that she's a keeper! Her two-fold view of cultural China is enlightening. This book is in many ways similar to The Last Chinese Chef, especially with both viewpoints: that of a foreigner and a native. Alice's interal demons and her eventual resolution of these issues closely paralleled my situation at this time. Imagine that!? So yes, so glad I read this and would highly recommend it.