A review by trinitytang
Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao

adventurous emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

4.25

as the book was originally in chinese, i must say all qualms reside with the translator rather than the author. i found myself incredibly frustrated with sanmao’s neighbors and husband, only to be told that their interactions were intended to be humorous and satirical. i do not believe the humor translates over to the english version. all the translations are very literal, which means the witty charm does not always carry over. other than that, the stories are very interesting to read. i won’t say this inspired me to travel the world, if anything i appreciate my little suburban neighborhood more now, but it does enlighten you and widen your perspective.