A review by bobpony
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Wow. What a collection of stories! I tried to start this one a couple of times, but set it aside. Mostly because it felt too 'thinky', I didn't want a book that gave me too much homework. But as the library due date crept closer I finally knuckled down and gave it an honest shot. I'm glad I did. Although the first story was a bit of a struggle - it's kind of an erudite version of Doctor Suess's 'McElligot's Pool'. Maybe with a little 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom' mixed in. "Here we see the Huffletuff bird, who scribe their stories on the backs of small turtles with their tri-pronged beaks. The turtles are then eaten by other Huffletuffs, who absorb and enjoy the story as the turtle is digested"...that kind of stuff. I almost didn't carry on. But then the stories (largely) become about the intersection of cultures, both across distance and time, with technology often prodding things along in unexpected directions. They're like little 'Black Mirror' stories. Some stories remained squarely rooted in the past, examining transition points in cultures, often focusing on the extinguishing of tradition and/or magic. I loved this book, it was easy to get lost in these worlds. Although two of the stories involve fairly graphic descriptions of torture. But done with the intent of examining what people will do to one another when pushed or afraid. Still, some difficult reading. On the whole though the stories have a sweetness to them, an innocence, and a deep respect for the past. And it wasn't all that thinky, but just thinky enough! Lol. Highly recommended.
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