Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by nikkis_reads
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo
4.0
Nghi Vo's storytelling technique is, for me at least, a very unique take on the 'story within a story'.
Chih re-tells the story of a scholar and tiger who fell in love in order to survive three hungry tigers. This is a slow-burn Sapphic love story that brings forth the power of oral history. Each part of this world holds a different version of the tale, but all seemingly going towards the same sweet end. Nghi Vo has a voice like no other, fearless like the cleric with no sense of preservation, but a desire to hold stories.
A trope that I very much love in fairy tales is the 'power of the name'. Names hold meaning and a certain power over the owner. It is not wise to give the name away so freely. The climax of the love story, shown through the scholar giving her name is peak traditional story telling.
At the same time, I feel like there are moments when Nghi Vo tries a little too much and the story becomes very hard to follow. There were moments when I did not know where I was: was I with the scholar and her tiger lover or with Chih and her carelessness? Even that small confusion did not prevent me from enjoying this and recommending The singing hills cycle. These novellas are a breath of fresh air in the literary world.
Chih re-tells the story of a scholar and tiger who fell in love in order to survive three hungry tigers. This is a slow-burn Sapphic love story that brings forth the power of oral history. Each part of this world holds a different version of the tale, but all seemingly going towards the same sweet end. Nghi Vo has a voice like no other, fearless like the cleric with no sense of preservation, but a desire to hold stories.
A trope that I very much love in fairy tales is the 'power of the name'. Names hold meaning and a certain power over the owner. It is not wise to give the name away so freely. The climax of the love story, shown through the scholar giving her name is peak traditional story telling.
At the same time, I feel like there are moments when Nghi Vo tries a little too much and the story becomes very hard to follow. There were moments when I did not know where I was: was I with the scholar and her tiger lover or with Chih and her carelessness? Even that small confusion did not prevent me from enjoying this and recommending The singing hills cycle. These novellas are a breath of fresh air in the literary world.