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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
beautifully written and a tragic plot
would recommend to every malaysian
you guys need to read this seriously
i want to watch the movie soon and cry more
would recommend to every malaysian
you guys need to read this seriously
i want to watch the movie soon and cry more
This is a fictional memoir written by an older Yun Ling recalling her experiences as a prisoner of war during Japan's occupation in Malaysia and the State of Emergency after their surrender. During that time she was also involved in a very complicated relationship with a Japanese man, the former royal gardener of the Japanese emperor.
Truly remarkable writing by the author, the book is so atmospheric and everything is written so delicately, recording down one of the most important history of the country. There's a lot of real historical people that has appeared in this book and lots of facts from the war, about Malaysia, about Japan, about love, friendship and humanity. Each and every characters are so well developed and written, every word is intentional, so tragic yet beautiful. I'm happy to have read this.
Truly remarkable writing by the author, the book is so atmospheric and everything is written so delicately, recording down one of the most important history of the country. There's a lot of real historical people that has appeared in this book and lots of facts from the war, about Malaysia, about Japan, about love, friendship and humanity. Each and every characters are so well developed and written, every word is intentional, so tragic yet beautiful. I'm happy to have read this.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
slow-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
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-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
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Audible audio narrated by Anna Bentinck
This is Eng’s second novel, following his Booker-Prize nominated The Gift of Rain. Once again, he sets the work in Malaysia, specifically Penang, Yun Ling Teoh is the sole survivor of a brutal Japanese wartime camp, who now (1951) lives in the Cameron Highlands, where she hopes to find peace. She discovered Yugiri, the only Japanese garden in Malaya, and its owner and creator, Aritomo, the exiled former gardener of the emperor of Japan. Despite her hatred of the Japanese, Yun Ling asks Aritomo to create a garden in memory of her sister, who died in the camp. He refuses, but he does agree to take her on as an apprentice, at least until the monsoon comes, so that she can design the garden herself. World War II is over, but there is still a communist guerrilla war raging in the mountains, and there is considerable danger for the residents of the area. Slowly their stories - how Aritomo came to Penang, and how Yun Ling escaped the camp – come to light.
What a marvelous book! Poetic writing. Complex characters. Atmospheric descriptions. Eng brought right into this world. I felt the peace and serenity of the garden, and the terror of guerilla attacks. I could smell the jungle, feel the humid heat, hear the rain. I was fascinated by the tattoo art.
The story is told in flashback, as Yun Ling is trying to recollect the time she spent as an apprentice to Aritomo. But her memories, and her ability to commit them to writing are hampered by her physical deterioration. She is slowly but inextricably descending into a kind of dementia. Yet she faces her future, as she did her past, with courage and grace. “Before me lies a voyage of a million miles, and memory is the moonlight I will borrow to illuminate my way.”
The audio is narrated by Anna Bentinck. She is a skilled actor, but the accents she used for some of the Asian characters were rather badly done. I almost wish she had abandoned the idea of using different voices and just read it without the accents. I very nearly took away a half-star for her performance, but ultimately felt that the book deserved the full 5-star rating.
This is Eng’s second novel, following his Booker-Prize nominated The Gift of Rain. Once again, he sets the work in Malaysia, specifically Penang, Yun Ling Teoh is the sole survivor of a brutal Japanese wartime camp, who now (1951) lives in the Cameron Highlands, where she hopes to find peace. She discovered Yugiri, the only Japanese garden in Malaya, and its owner and creator, Aritomo, the exiled former gardener of the emperor of Japan. Despite her hatred of the Japanese, Yun Ling asks Aritomo to create a garden in memory of her sister, who died in the camp. He refuses, but he does agree to take her on as an apprentice, at least until the monsoon comes, so that she can design the garden herself. World War II is over, but there is still a communist guerrilla war raging in the mountains, and there is considerable danger for the residents of the area. Slowly their stories - how Aritomo came to Penang, and how Yun Ling escaped the camp – come to light.
What a marvelous book! Poetic writing. Complex characters. Atmospheric descriptions. Eng brought right into this world. I felt the peace and serenity of the garden, and the terror of guerilla attacks. I could smell the jungle, feel the humid heat, hear the rain. I was fascinated by the tattoo art.
The story is told in flashback, as Yun Ling is trying to recollect the time she spent as an apprentice to Aritomo. But her memories, and her ability to commit them to writing are hampered by her physical deterioration. She is slowly but inextricably descending into a kind of dementia. Yet she faces her future, as she did her past, with courage and grace. “Before me lies a voyage of a million miles, and memory is the moonlight I will borrow to illuminate my way.”
The audio is narrated by Anna Bentinck. She is a skilled actor, but the accents she used for some of the Asian characters were rather badly done. I almost wish she had abandoned the idea of using different voices and just read it without the accents. I very nearly took away a half-star for her performance, but ultimately felt that the book deserved the full 5-star rating.