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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
- first 10ish chapters were so hard to get through… almost dnfed
- but wah. subsequently the story rly got into the meat of things and made up for it
- so lush and atmospheric, adored the descriptions of environment and greenery
- also uncertain and open ending but it rly does work in the favour of the book
- unsure ab the “romance”? that happens with the main character but i suppose with how complex events took place and her trauma. things aren’t supposed to feel ordinary or understandable to others, especially as she still wields anger and resentment for all that she went through (also didn’t like the implication by characters that she needs to move on. she has every right to feel hatred and to me it felt like her pain wasn’t validated enough)
- but wah. subsequently the story rly got into the meat of things and made up for it
- so lush and atmospheric, adored the descriptions of environment and greenery
- also uncertain and open ending but it rly does work in the favour of the book
- unsure ab the “romance”? that happens with the main character but i suppose with how complex events took place and her trauma. things aren’t supposed to feel ordinary or understandable to others, especially as she still wields anger and resentment for all that she went through (also didn’t like the implication by characters that she needs to move on. she has every right to feel hatred and to me it felt like her pain wasn’t validated enough)
This book is so beautifully written. The author's description of the garden, war camps, Cameron Highlands helped me visualize the story so well that, at time, I had to put the book down because I was just so, so sad for Yun Ling. I read a lot of reviews which pointed out the theme of the book to be about memory and forgiveness, but for me, what stuck out the most is grief. Gotta admit, I didn't get the end at first before I read the Q&A on Goodreads (but that's probably just because I'm dumb...)
As the book ended, I feel that Yun Ling is finally at peace with her sister's death, and I'm so happy she reached that point because she has suffered through so much.
A few things I didn't enjoy in the book:
Pacing: I thought it was way too slow. Even 100 pages in, I was still wondering what on earth 'the big reveal' or turning point of the book was, but I think that may just be because I've been reading YA fantasy for the past 4 months so this took a while to get used to.
Time jumps: I was so confused at first, but then I realized that the book is in 3 different time periods: during the Japanese occupation of Malaya, Malayan Emergency and post-independece Malaysia. I think signposting the year would've been helpful, as the story jumps from one time period to another sometimes during paragraphs and it gets quite confusing.
Anyway, 4 stars simply because of the things I mentioned above. I'd love to read more Malaysian authors! :)
As the book ended, I feel that Yun Ling is finally at peace with her sister's death, and I'm so happy she reached that point because she has suffered through so much.
A few things I didn't enjoy in the book:
Pacing: I thought it was way too slow. Even 100 pages in, I was still wondering what on earth 'the big reveal' or turning point of the book was, but I think that may just be because I've been reading YA fantasy for the past 4 months so this took a while to get used to.
Time jumps: I was so confused at first, but then I realized that the book is in 3 different time periods: during the Japanese occupation of Malaya, Malayan Emergency and post-independece Malaysia. I think signposting the year would've been helpful, as the story jumps from one time period to another sometimes during paragraphs and it gets quite confusing.
Anyway, 4 stars simply because of the things I mentioned above. I'd love to read more Malaysian authors! :)
I profess - I don't know a thing about Malaya, Malaysia, the area around here during WWII, or much about the history of this part of the world, but I'm trying. If historical books are the only way to paddle in and explore, so be it. There's something poignant, and simultaneously close like a whisper, distant as a mountain, and yet intimate about the way it is written and how we interact with the slightly unreliable narrator of her terrifying past. The characters are rich, and established promptly - Magnus being a personal favorite of mine. There were some unfamiliar words that were puzzling, but I made the most of the notes and highlights options in the Kindle ebook this time and plan to spend some quality time placing the puzzle pieces into context. Sometimes there was enough context to decipher it, though other times there wasn't. I have the feeling some of the words point to specifics about this point in time historically that my knowledge of is completely lacking.
The narrator herself is an onion - even from her point of view, there are so many layers to her difficult life and situation and the relationships she eventually develops. Her anger is completely understandable, even if I couldn't begin to relate to what she has gone through. You get the impression, as it goes on, that she did more than just live through the camp but instead had to fight to survive and do things that she feels guilty about. Her distance from not only her father, but from everyone makes sense when you remember how she felt she betrayed those she was closest to (her sister). Magnus, again, emerges as my favorite point of view and voice of reason by discussing how she was holding on to her anger so tightly and it was to her detriment. It's something to be better at in practice myself, though. Frankly, the main character's simmering frustrating and anger as something that cannot abide was relatable, too. The entire novel is quite a different perspective on WWII from a less-heard, though no-less-interesting player in game. The story languishes at times, but it also lingers carefully and maybe reflects a different way of living, a different perspective of time and of the world, and that aspect of it doesn't come through with the clarity the author intends.
Her relationship with Aritomo is the most frustrating part of this for me. I'm not sure if she wants to, in a strange way, dominate him and gain back a semblance of control of her issues in the camp, or if part of her truly does come to see them as people, just on a different side of the war. Considering her bubbling anger, the latter seems less likely. The blithe way (or perhaps not) in which their paths cross could have been explored more instead of left up to trail off at the end of the book, but there is something satisfying in that it won't, and cannot, be explained. Their complicated relationship is fascinating but at points, odd and repulsive. I don't consider this, necessarily, a negative aspect of the writing, because perhaps that's what the author ultimately wanted. It's difficult to say, but I'm sticking to the notion that it's meant to be awkward and complicated and viewed with disdain, as there are plenty of negative expressions of their relationship mentioned by other characters.
Personal anecdote: Poor reviews based on the quality of the audiobook strike me as tacky and detract from discussion of the actual book. Something I noticed skimming through reviews, anyway.
The narrator herself is an onion - even from her point of view, there are so many layers to her difficult life and situation and the relationships she eventually develops. Her anger is completely understandable, even if I couldn't begin to relate to what she has gone through. You get the impression, as it goes on, that she did more than just live through the camp but instead had to fight to survive and do things that she feels guilty about. Her distance from not only her father, but from everyone makes sense when you remember how she felt she betrayed those she was closest to (her sister). Magnus, again, emerges as my favorite point of view and voice of reason by discussing how she was holding on to her anger so tightly and it was to her detriment. It's something to be better at in practice myself, though. Frankly, the main character's simmering frustrating and anger as something that cannot abide was relatable, too. The entire novel is quite a different perspective on WWII from a less-heard, though no-less-interesting player in game. The story languishes at times, but it also lingers carefully and maybe reflects a different way of living, a different perspective of time and of the world, and that aspect of it doesn't come through with the clarity the author intends.
Her relationship with Aritomo is the most frustrating part of this for me. I'm not sure if she wants to, in a strange way, dominate him and gain back a semblance of control of her issues in the camp, or if part of her truly does come to see them as people, just on a different side of the war. Considering her bubbling anger, the latter seems less likely. The blithe way (or perhaps not) in which their paths cross could have been explored more instead of left up to trail off at the end of the book, but there is something satisfying in that it won't, and cannot, be explained. Their complicated relationship is fascinating but at points, odd and repulsive. I don't consider this, necessarily, a negative aspect of the writing, because perhaps that's what the author ultimately wanted. It's difficult to say, but I'm sticking to the notion that it's meant to be awkward and complicated and viewed with disdain, as there are plenty of negative expressions of their relationship mentioned by other characters.
Personal anecdote: Poor reviews based on the quality of the audiobook strike me as tacky and detract from discussion of the actual book. Something I noticed skimming through reviews, anyway.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
informative
reflective
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:
Yes
I kept changing my mind as to what this book was about: at first it felt like it was going to be a celebration of recovery with a dash of anti-colonial commentary, and then it was more about the scars that trauma leave, and then it became a little clearer it is a more conventional mysterious thriller, but somehow Tan combines all of these into something more. Unusually for historical fiction, Tan eschews easy positions on conflict and war. He allows his characters to suffer without wallowing. There is a fundamentally beautiful reslience to his protogonist that keeps pulling you through this novel, as well as lush imagery that suits the landscape. And then there is a bit of a central mystery. In the end, you feel wiser while having possibly even less answers, which I think it almost the perfect novel-that-gets-you-thinking tone.
An uncomfortably sad tale of a less told narrative of the aftermath of World War 2 on the Indochina Peninsula. It's a good book, I recommend it.
emotional
reflective
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:
No
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated