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A review by atmorrell
Night in Shanghai by Nicole Mones
2.0
I read this book for the book club at my local library. Being historical fiction, it is probably not something I would have picked up on my own. The strongest aspects of this book involve the historical setting. The author crafts a beautiful depiction of Ye Shanghai, and the city takes on a life of its own as it transforms throughout the beginnings of WWII. I really enjoy the juxtaposition of Thomas' life in America and his life in Shanghai. I also felt like I learned a lot from this novel; I didn't realize that China had done so much for the Jews throughout WWII.
That being said, this book totally falls down on plot. Spoilers ahead. When Song is trying to figure out how to get money for the Communists, all of a sudden Du's vegetable of a wife becomes lucid and reveals to Song a hidden stash of diamonds. How convenient! She then returns to her vegetative state and doesn't even remember showing them to her, allowing Song to take them as she pleases. Come on. It's just so unrealistic and unbelievable. I also have a problem with Lin's storyline, especially at the end. He wants to buy his lover, Pearl, from the brothel so he can marry her. After Du sets him free, he works for HH Kung, who is referred to multiple times as the wealthiest man in China. It's also said that Kung thinks of Lin as a son. So why doesn't Kung just front Lin the money? He mentioned that he approved of Lin's marriage, and Pearl isn't even that expensive because she was 28 years old. I felt that Lin and Pearl's tragic ending could have easily been avoided.
This book also has a lot of very descriptive scenes about music. If you are a music lover I think you will appreciate them greatly. I'm not huge into music composition or playing music, so I wasn't really into it. But I felt like they were really vibrant for people who love jazz or classical music.
Overall... I'm happy that I read it, but I won't read it again and I probably won't recommend it to anyone. It does, however, spark my curiosity to learn more about 20th century China.
That being said, this book totally falls down on plot. Spoilers ahead. When Song is trying to figure out how to get money for the Communists, all of a sudden Du's vegetable of a wife becomes lucid and reveals to Song a hidden stash of diamonds. How convenient! She then returns to her vegetative state and doesn't even remember showing them to her, allowing Song to take them as she pleases. Come on. It's just so unrealistic and unbelievable. I also have a problem with Lin's storyline, especially at the end. He wants to buy his lover, Pearl, from the brothel so he can marry her. After Du sets him free, he works for HH Kung, who is referred to multiple times as the wealthiest man in China. It's also said that Kung thinks of Lin as a son. So why doesn't Kung just front Lin the money? He mentioned that he approved of Lin's marriage, and Pearl isn't even that expensive because she was 28 years old. I felt that Lin and Pearl's tragic ending could have easily been avoided.
This book also has a lot of very descriptive scenes about music. If you are a music lover I think you will appreciate them greatly. I'm not huge into music composition or playing music, so I wasn't really into it. But I felt like they were really vibrant for people who love jazz or classical music.
Overall... I'm happy that I read it, but I won't read it again and I probably won't recommend it to anyone. It does, however, spark my curiosity to learn more about 20th century China.