Scan barcode
A review by ruth24
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
I have to admit that it was a struggle for me to get through [b:Do Not Say We Have Nothing|31549906|Do Not Say We Have Nothing|Madeleine Thien|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473220440s/31549906.jpg|47869112]. At about a quarter of the way through I almost gave up, but I'm glad I didn't.
From a review of the book on Quill & Quire: Do Not Say We Have Nothing examines the lives of musicians in 20th-century China, and the effect of the monumental political changes that had ruinous effects on people’s lives.
While I did enjoy the overarching story, I found it very dense and difficult to understand at times. I was confused about who was who and how they were connected to one another in the beginning and I found it hard to understand the political ideologies and what exactly was going on. This is why I've given the book a 2 rather than a 3.
The best part of the book for me was the last 30% or so, where the past and present started to come together. Sparrow was my favourite character. He was so gentle and kind, especially to Zhuli, and I really enjoyed their relationship.
[b:Do Not Say We Have Nothing|31549906|Do Not Say We Have Nothing|Madeleine Thien|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473220440s/31549906.jpg|47869112] made me see how horrible events can affect multiple generations of a family, with all the hurt and negativity trickling down from grandparent to parent to child. It reminded me of [b:Everything Is Illuminated|256566|Everything Is Illuminated|Jonathan Safran Foer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479774440s/256566.jpg|886727] in this way. I also liked how the book showed the different ways in which people coped with what was happening in China at that time.
Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend this book unless you're in the mood to delve into something a bit more complicated, or if you have a special interest in history/politics. I don't - which is why it was trickier for me to get in to.
From a review of the book on Quill & Quire: Do Not Say We Have Nothing examines the lives of musicians in 20th-century China, and the effect of the monumental political changes that had ruinous effects on people’s lives.
While I did enjoy the overarching story, I found it very dense and difficult to understand at times. I was confused about who was who and how they were connected to one another in the beginning and I found it hard to understand the political ideologies and what exactly was going on. This is why I've given the book a 2 rather than a 3.
The best part of the book for me was the last 30% or so, where the past and present started to come together. Sparrow was my favourite character. He was so gentle and kind, especially to Zhuli, and I really enjoyed their relationship.
[b:Do Not Say We Have Nothing|31549906|Do Not Say We Have Nothing|Madeleine Thien|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473220440s/31549906.jpg|47869112] made me see how horrible events can affect multiple generations of a family, with all the hurt and negativity trickling down from grandparent to parent to child. It reminded me of [b:Everything Is Illuminated|256566|Everything Is Illuminated|Jonathan Safran Foer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479774440s/256566.jpg|886727] in this way. I also liked how the book showed the different ways in which people coped with what was happening in China at that time.
Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend this book unless you're in the mood to delve into something a bit more complicated, or if you have a special interest in history/politics. I don't - which is why it was trickier for me to get in to.