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A review by lizshayne
Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I keep trying to start this review and explain why it is that I found this book utterly captivating in its weirdness and I have no idea how to.
The mix of matter-of-fact-ness and weirdness, the stories of not-knowing each other, the whole premise of weirdness and who/what is other and how we find about ourselves set to the backdrop of zoology is just natural in its strangeness.
Magical realism is culturally constructed and it still surprises me the degree to which an author's background shapes my response to how they write in this genre.
The mix of matter-of-fact-ness and weirdness, the stories of not-knowing each other, the whole premise of weirdness and who/what is other and how we find about ourselves set to the backdrop of zoology is just natural in its strangeness.
Magical realism is culturally constructed and it still surprises me the degree to which an author's background shapes my response to how they write in this genre.