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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
It's not bad but it is a philosophical treatise masquerading as a novel. If I was in the mood for an reflection on Capitalism, Communism, Creativity and Freedom it might even be fun but that's not my mood at the moment.
I won this one in a Goodreads giveaway from Saga press. It's fast becoming a go-to publishing house for me.
When I first read the description, I was expecting a book with a faster pace than what this was. Instead of a plot-driven novel of political intrigue, Vagabonds is a character study about the effects of cultural exposure; a tack I grew to appreciate. It's a slow soak of a read which definitely benefits from having large blocks of time to devote to it.
Since this book was originally written in a Chinese language (I'm assuming Mandarin), there is a bit of remoteness in the voice. It takes a while to get used to, but in the end it serves to make the future feel like a different place.
It felt like a rather timely novel for the summer of 2020, when America is undergoing a lot of social turmoil. Maybe we don't have all the answers to our own problems. Perhaps another group has a different solution that could work better. And maybe we, in turn, has the answer to a problem that our counterparts have.
When I first read the description, I was expecting a book with a faster pace than what this was. Instead of a plot-driven novel of political intrigue, Vagabonds is a character study about the effects of cultural exposure; a tack I grew to appreciate. It's a slow soak of a read which definitely benefits from having large blocks of time to devote to it.
Since this book was originally written in a Chinese language (I'm assuming Mandarin), there is a bit of remoteness in the voice. It takes a while to get used to, but in the end it serves to make the future feel like a different place.
It felt like a rather timely novel for the summer of 2020, when America is undergoing a lot of social turmoil. Maybe we don't have all the answers to our own problems. Perhaps another group has a different solution that could work better. And maybe we, in turn, has the answer to a problem that our counterparts have.
reflective
slow-paced
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the eARC. I was very excited to read this book, but now that I am finished I don't know how to fairly review it. It was beautifully written and seemed to be well translated. I give the book three stars for this. Some will really enjoy the allegorical portrayal of the political differences between Mars and Earth as they can be likened to Chinese government and western government. It is very interesting on how th author chose to tell of these differences through the eyes of a group of children who return to Mars after a five year tour on Earth. They provide a very unique lens in which see the pros and cons of each society. Where I feel the story fails is through a lack of conflict with repercussions. There is conflict, just not one that pulled me in and kept me interested for 600+ pages.
I'll end by saying the characters were wonderfully written. All with their own opinions, uniqueness, expertise, and faults.
I'll end by saying the characters were wonderfully written. All with their own opinions, uniqueness, expertise, and faults.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
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
Review to come on www.scifiandscary.com
Thanks to libro.fm for an advanced copy for review consideration
Thanks to libro.fm for an advanced copy for review consideration
Thoughtful and meaty literary sci fi, beautifully translated by Ken Liu. I was left in awe of how the minds of writer and translator worked together to create such a poignant and beautiful novel.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced