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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
This was a tricky book for me. I’m in a bit of a reading slump, and therefore not really in the headspace for this book. Complicating this is that the novel takes place during a historical event and in culture with which I am nearly unfamiliar, requiring a deeper level of attention than I was prepared to give. If either of these things had been untrue, I think I would have been riveted and unable to put the book down. Since both are true, it felt at times like a bit of a slog. However, there were times when I was able to focus and engage, and the writing was transcendent.
I learned a ton throughout the book about the Japanese occupation of Malaya (as it was called) and its horrific treatment of POWs, as well as about the arts of Japanese gardening, ukiyo-e (Japanese wood block prints), horimono (aka irezumi) Japanese full body tattoos, and the beautiful mountainous jungle landscape of the Malaysian countryside.
Ultimately, though, like all good literature, it is a story of imperfect humans doing their best to survive and thrive in the unique circumstances of their lives. The layers of self-learning are arranged as delicately and deliberately as a Japanese garden, the full meaning only revealed when the whole is viewed at one time. Well worth the read.
I learned a ton throughout the book about the Japanese occupation of Malaya (as it was called) and its horrific treatment of POWs, as well as about the arts of Japanese gardening, ukiyo-e (Japanese wood block prints), horimono (aka irezumi) Japanese full body tattoos, and the beautiful mountainous jungle landscape of the Malaysian countryside.
Ultimately, though, like all good literature, it is a story of imperfect humans doing their best to survive and thrive in the unique circumstances of their lives. The layers of self-learning are arranged as delicately and deliberately as a Japanese garden, the full meaning only revealed when the whole is viewed at one time. Well worth the read.
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I was unable to connect with the bitter, unforgiving main character and it tainted my whole experience with this book. There is no denying that the writing and character development are exquisite, but nearing the end I found it hard to pick up the book.
it took 258 pages to come to the ‘interesting’ part. reading that chapter made me understand so much more. i wish the book had started by being this detailed; or that the author would have left a note at the end of the book explaining the context of the book. diving in a story with lots of acronyms and lots of history, in which i was/am not familiar with at all, was difficult.
emotional
slow-paced
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Too many characters to keep track of for me. Too many wise sages saying something meaningful and vague by the end of it. The basic story and era were of interest but I finished it to find out what happened rather than being swept along.
Very slow read, took me awhile to finish it because it just didn't feel super enticing. Finally get some answers but not all in the last 50 pages. The beautiful descriptions of the gardens and landscape make me want to visit Japan.
At first I wasn't so sure about it - the dialogue felt a bit stilted, but somehow I got more into the style and it all began to pull together more for me, and by the end I was fascinated by the tale. I predicted where the plot would end up for the most part, but that wasn't really a problem, because I didn't feel like I lost any of the books impact just because it went where I expected it to. More intriguing was the way it built up the world and the time period. I am woefully ignorant about the events depicted in the book, and I like any story that awakens a desire to look at part of the world and history that are unfamiliar to me.
slow-paced