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nishades 's review for:
Dreams of Joy
by Lisa See
Like Shanghai Girls, I read this book in about two and a half hours. All criticisms aside, Lisa See is compulsively readable.
I actually preferred this book to Shanghai Girls, but I do think to really enjoy this there needs to be a suspension of disbelief. It's a little hard to believe that American-educated, of-sensible-upbringing Joy would really go to the lengths she does in this novel - to China, Why would any American girl do that, no matter how naive?
In some ways this story is so good because it's a bit fantastical. There's never a dull moment. It's all drama all the way through. I liked Pearl in Shanghai Girls, but I loved her in Dreams of Joy. If in Shanghai Girls Pearl got the short end of the stick, then this book is the parallel to that. Sometimes it's hard to root for Joy because of her thick head and generally attitude - of course, I say this as someone with a low tolerance for other people's insecurity and general B.S, and you're never rooting against Joy. It's just that sometimes she's frustrating because she's so bright and could have totally avoided her predicament.
And of course, in the style of Lisa See, this book is impeccably researched and incredibly informative. She really does the historical fiction genre to perfection. I'm kind of sad there's not going to be a book after this, but perhaps it's a good thing - I think the Chin/Louie girls have been through enough as it is :)
I actually preferred this book to Shanghai Girls, but I do think to really enjoy this there needs to be a suspension of disbelief. It's a little hard to believe that American-educated, of-sensible-upbringing Joy would really go to the lengths she does in this novel - to China,
Spoiler
to the commune, and to marrying Tao.In some ways this story is so good because it's a bit fantastical. There's never a dull moment. It's all drama all the way through. I liked Pearl in Shanghai Girls, but I loved her in Dreams of Joy. If in Shanghai Girls Pearl got the short end of the stick, then this book is the parallel to that. Sometimes it's hard to root for Joy because of her thick head and generally attitude - of course, I say this as someone with a low tolerance for other people's insecurity and general B.S, and you're never rooting against Joy. It's just that sometimes she's frustrating because she's so bright and could have totally avoided her predicament.
And of course, in the style of Lisa See, this book is impeccably researched and incredibly informative. She really does the historical fiction genre to perfection. I'm kind of sad there's not going to be a book after this, but perhaps it's a good thing - I think the Chin/Louie girls have been through enough as it is :)