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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
This guy is a great writer. Descriptions are so immediate and pared to the essence, the sense of place very strong. Just a delight. The plot did not quite work but the characterization so strong and descriptions so sharp that I have to give it 5 stars. Read it, you won't regret it.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Beautifully written book set in Malaysia in the years after World War II during the Emergency. It looks at the lasting impacts of trauma along with the question of identity, such as who is Malaysian, and if and how to forgive the unforgivable. Beautiful descriptions of Japanese gardens and of Zen practices.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Beautiful writing, but can be boring and slow. Personally, the book felt better from chapter 16 onwards.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved reading this book! In preparing for a trip to Japan, S Korea, and a bit of China, I have been immersing myself in Asian historical fiction. This book felt like a real gift. I often re-read sentences that invoked great images for me. It gave me a greater understanding of Japanese gardens and wood-block printing.
The description of the narrator's life in Japanese POW camp was hard to read, but necessary to the story line as it had been alluded to so often.
I was very ignorant of Malaysian history, so this was enlightening, as was the story around the tea plantation.
I learned so much from this exciting read!
The description of the narrator's life in Japanese POW camp was hard to read, but necessary to the story line as it had been alluded to so often.
I was very ignorant of Malaysian history, so this was enlightening, as was the story around the tea plantation.
I learned so much from this exciting read!
Difficult, but lyrical and poetic read. Beautifully written story that is worth the effort.