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A review by athravan
Kinder Than Solitude by Yiyun Li
5.0
This is a poignant book that revolves around three friends and an event - the poisoning of another friend - that changes their lives forever. It hops back in time between their childhood and the present (twenty years later), to see what sort of lives they live, and how much they are effected by the past. I cared deeply about all the characters, but this is a sad tale of mourning, loss, and broken dreams and to be honest, I felt quite depressed, even after finishing it, a little haunted.
Superbly written, it focuses on the relationships that we forge with each other, loyalty and love, or the lack of it.
Even though this a mystery, and wanting to find out who poisoned Shaoai (or was it suicide?) kept me turning the pages, the actual whodunnit seemed entirely secondary - with the main meat of the book being not what happened, but how did one event resonate through multiple people across the years, who else did it touch, and how did it affect them? For example, Moran, once a young girl who idolised Shaoai is now a quiet woman living in the United States. We watch her interact with her ex-husband, and have to wonder how much did that distance event with Shaoai effect her current personality, how did it touch her ex-husband and her relationship with his family, even though they never even know Shaoai existed.
It is a book about experiences, and how they shape us - although be reassured, the book has a conclusion and felt complete. Overall a very emotive journey that caused me to feel very introspective upon completion.
Superbly written, it focuses on the relationships that we forge with each other, loyalty and love, or the lack of it.
Even though this a mystery, and wanting to find out who poisoned Shaoai (or was it suicide?) kept me turning the pages, the actual whodunnit seemed entirely secondary - with the main meat of the book being not what happened, but how did one event resonate through multiple people across the years, who else did it touch, and how did it affect them? For example, Moran, once a young girl who idolised Shaoai is now a quiet woman living in the United States. We watch her interact with her ex-husband, and have to wonder how much did that distance event with Shaoai effect her current personality, how did it touch her ex-husband and her relationship with his family, even though they never even know Shaoai existed.
It is a book about experiences, and how they shape us - although be reassured, the book has a conclusion and felt complete. Overall a very emotive journey that caused me to feel very introspective upon completion.