ok7a's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
abarrera's review against another edition
4.0
I'm making this a general review of the whole tetralogy. Wow, where to start. I enjoyed this reading mightily for two main reasons, it's an easy read in terms of the language used, and it's wonderfully well documented.
Reading it was a breeze but what really captured my attention is how well Jin weaves historical facts with the characters of the novel while, at the same time, running a parallel world of martial artists (wulin). From a storytelling point of view, it's hard to switch from one to the other and back and it's a testament to Jin's masterful storytelling skills.
Another facet I loved was how well documented it is, dragging you to an incredible era within China's history, but at the same time, expanding on the existing sources and imagining how mighty heroes used the secret texts of the time. I always wondered how people from the epoch interpreted the cosmological and obscure Taoist manuals, and Jin brings this to life with his wonderful fantasy. And that's the thing, sometimes it's hard to unravel Jin's interpretation from the real historical sources because he braids it so masterfully.
On to the less marvelous aspects, well, it's a rather clique book with a very simple narrative that's easy to read but won't leave a durable mark from the literary perspective. It's definitely no Lord of the Rings as they claim. It's something else, as entertaining and interesting as Tolkien but on a different plain altogether.
While some characters are borderline comic, others are very well defined, even within their simplicity. Here is where you can see what do the Chinese culture feels is important in someone's character vs. the western vision. At some points, it felt that this book has influenced the behavior of a whole generation, in a similar way that the notion of Budo spread like wildfire after WWII in Japan.
That said, the two middle books felt a bit reiterative, and while some scenes were fun to read, eventually it's more of the same. This last volume felt a little rushed, trying to tie up many open plots in a brief amount of time and it shows.
Overall, I highly recommend this book if you like martial arts and Chinese culture. It's a really fun book, hard to put down and very well researched but with plenty of fantasy in it. This particular translation is pretty good from what I could gather so give it a try.
Reading it was a breeze but what really captured my attention is how well Jin weaves historical facts with the characters of the novel while, at the same time, running a parallel world of martial artists (wulin). From a storytelling point of view, it's hard to switch from one to the other and back and it's a testament to Jin's masterful storytelling skills.
Another facet I loved was how well documented it is, dragging you to an incredible era within China's history, but at the same time, expanding on the existing sources and imagining how mighty heroes used the secret texts of the time. I always wondered how people from the epoch interpreted the cosmological and obscure Taoist manuals, and Jin brings this to life with his wonderful fantasy. And that's the thing, sometimes it's hard to unravel Jin's interpretation from the real historical sources because he braids it so masterfully.
On to the less marvelous aspects, well, it's a rather clique book with a very simple narrative that's easy to read but won't leave a durable mark from the literary perspective. It's definitely no Lord of the Rings as they claim. It's something else, as entertaining and interesting as Tolkien but on a different plain altogether.
While some characters are borderline comic, others are very well defined, even within their simplicity. Here is where you can see what do the Chinese culture feels is important in someone's character vs. the western vision. At some points, it felt that this book has influenced the behavior of a whole generation, in a similar way that the notion of Budo spread like wildfire after WWII in Japan.
That said, the two middle books felt a bit reiterative, and while some scenes were fun to read, eventually it's more of the same. This last volume felt a little rushed, trying to tie up many open plots in a brief amount of time and it shows.
Overall, I highly recommend this book if you like martial arts and Chinese culture. It's a really fun book, hard to put down and very well researched but with plenty of fantasy in it. This particular translation is pretty good from what I could gather so give it a try.
aardwyrm's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's the series where punching 200 sharks is a reasonable start to a book, and it ends exactly the way you'd expect, with fun violence and vaguely wise speeches and very little resolution of anything other than who is the coolest (it's the main characters). Pure power fantasy. Goofy as shit. Great stuff.
bhagestedt's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
eklsolo's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
elisaviihde's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
reader89's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thinde's review against another edition
4.0
Despite the lack of realism in any aspect of this series, I enjoyed the read. However, this book relies too much on a lack of communication to drive conflict... even more than previous books.
The use of actual historical figures made the inaccuracies more glaring but also anchored the story in something familiar. I don't think I've ever seen the Mongols described in more romantic terms, but I suppose it was necessary since Guo Jing was raised by them.
I found the author's treatment of Viper to be irritating. Viper lies, cheats, stabs people in the back, and betrays anyone that helps him. But somehow, people keep treating him with respect. The only reason I can see is that the author needs the antagonist in the thick of things. Thus everyone must be stupidly forgiving. Sometimes it is like the entire cast is five years of age.
That child-like innocence and hope are what make Guo Jing so palatable as a protagonist. He has no evil in him and so the reader wants him to succeed. Over time, through a somewhat forced and trite internal philosophical struggle, he does reach some level of maturity. This makes the ending more satisfying as he finally accepts the agency that all protagonists should have.
The use of actual historical figures made the inaccuracies more glaring but also anchored the story in something familiar. I don't think I've ever seen the Mongols described in more romantic terms, but I suppose it was necessary since Guo Jing was raised by them.
I found the author's treatment of Viper to be irritating. Viper lies, cheats, stabs people in the back, and betrays anyone that helps him. But somehow, people keep treating him with respect. The only reason I can see is that the author needs the antagonist in the thick of things. Thus everyone must be stupidly forgiving. Sometimes it is like the entire cast is five years of age.
That child-like innocence and hope are what make Guo Jing so palatable as a protagonist. He has no evil in him and so the reader wants him to succeed. Over time, through a somewhat forced and trite internal philosophical struggle, he does reach some level of maturity. This makes the ending more satisfying as he finally accepts the agency that all protagonists should have.
rozanne_visagie's review
3.0
A Heart Divided is the fourth book in The Legend of the Condor Heroes series and is filled with martial arts and adventures. I'm not familiar with the series but after I've been gifted a copy of this book I found I enjoyed it. Martial arts is not a typical topic I'd read about, but I was caught up in the characters and the different moves.
The book is 591 pages and I felt certain parts dragged, but since it's the end of the series I understand why so much detail is included. A character list and illustrations are included which enhances the reading experience. The character list is especially helpful since there are many characters to keep up with. A Heart Divided is translated from Chinese by Gigi Chang and Shelly Bryant. The world-building is detailed and the reader is taken on a journey to finish the final chapter of this series.
My opinion is based on this book alone since I'm not familiar with the series, but after what I've read, this book is rich in descriptions and characters and I'm curious to see how the series began. It's interesting to read something that isn't your typical read, that way you discover a whole new territory, a whole new adventure and characters that keep you entertained.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for this gifted copy.
The book is 591 pages and I felt certain parts dragged, but since it's the end of the series I understand why so much detail is included. A character list and illustrations are included which enhances the reading experience. The character list is especially helpful since there are many characters to keep up with. A Heart Divided is translated from Chinese by Gigi Chang and Shelly Bryant. The world-building is detailed and the reader is taken on a journey to finish the final chapter of this series.
My opinion is based on this book alone since I'm not familiar with the series, but after what I've read, this book is rich in descriptions and characters and I'm curious to see how the series began. It's interesting to read something that isn't your typical read, that way you discover a whole new territory, a whole new adventure and characters that keep you entertained.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for this gifted copy.
argentrabe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5