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A review by sebby_reads
A Lover's Discourse by Xiaolu Guo
4.0
A Lover’s Discourse by Xiaolu Guo tells the relationship between a Chinese woman studying for PhD in Britain and an Australian landscape architect with British and German lineage. Through the fragments of conversations between two lovers, the writer gives the reader a story of love in the time of Brexit campaign. The narrator recounts her first encounter with her lover, their romantic life and the time living on a boat in London canal as well as their parenthood.
In fact, the story is quite ordinary but the way it was told is interesting here. The narrator shares her views straightforwardly and when she argues with other person whether her lover or her professor, she firmly stands her point. She ceaselessly analyses the things she encounters and unapologetically point out her opinions. In first few chapters, I was a little taken aback of her behaviour but as I continued reading, I began to enjoy the opinionatedness of her. Her incessant curiosity and her declamatory speeches are the things I became to admire of her.
In short and plain narrative, the writer talked about culture shock, miscommunication because of language barrier, loneliness, being rational yet hopeful, the struggle to make a relationship works, etc. Quite a compelling read indeed with pithy statements. Though I don’t always agree with her opinions (I sometimes agree with her partner and sometimes they contradicts with my points of view), I love how the narrators make me pause and ponder further. 3.7 out of 5.
Title of the book is referenced from Roland Barthes’s book with the same title and the writer extensively mentiones Barther’s works and other notable literature in it. This is my second book of Xiaolu Guo. I previously read her 20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth in Burmese translation but I'd like to read it back in English.
In fact, the story is quite ordinary but the way it was told is interesting here. The narrator shares her views straightforwardly and when she argues with other person whether her lover or her professor, she firmly stands her point. She ceaselessly analyses the things she encounters and unapologetically point out her opinions. In first few chapters, I was a little taken aback of her behaviour but as I continued reading, I began to enjoy the opinionatedness of her. Her incessant curiosity and her declamatory speeches are the things I became to admire of her.
In short and plain narrative, the writer talked about culture shock, miscommunication because of language barrier, loneliness, being rational yet hopeful, the struggle to make a relationship works, etc. Quite a compelling read indeed with pithy statements. Though I don’t always agree with her opinions (I sometimes agree with her partner and sometimes they contradicts with my points of view), I love how the narrators make me pause and ponder further. 3.7 out of 5.
Title of the book is referenced from Roland Barthes’s book with the same title and the writer extensively mentiones Barther’s works and other notable literature in it. This is my second book of Xiaolu Guo. I previously read her 20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth in Burmese translation but I'd like to read it back in English.