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juller's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful book! Heartbreak and sadness, but overall hope and kindness. I love it.
solitarycapricorn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Mountains Sing’, set in Vietnam, tells the story of the Tran family over multiple generations, against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and its aftermath.
At its core, the novel explores the bond between grandmother Diệu Lan and her granddaughter Hương. The story alternates between Diệu Lan's harrowing past experiences and Hương's present-day struggles in war-torn Hanoi.
This is a complex and beautiful, although a tough read. The story is filled with the effects of war, poverty, hunger, and hardships Diệu Lan and her family endured. It spans many decades, covering The Great Land Reforms, the American War, and the rise of Communism in Vietnam.
However, amidst the struggles, the novel also emphasises the themes of family and hope, portraying the resilient human spirit that persists through difficult times. Love for family forms the story's foundation, as characters await the return of their loved ones from war, facing the invisible rifts that war can create within a family.
Immersed in Vietnam’s culture and lush landscapes, the book offers an emotional journey through the eyes of Diệu Lan and Hương. ( My favourite aspect of the book ).
It sheds light on how a common family can be affected by war and how lives can change overnight, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar history through the eyes of a Vietnamese family.
For readers who enjoy historical fiction that is deep, emotional, and culturally insightful, The Mountains Sing is a must-read. It’s a book that will leave a lasting impact, resonating with its themes of love, loss, and the unbreakable human spirit.
At its core, the novel explores the bond between grandmother Diệu Lan and her granddaughter Hương. The story alternates between Diệu Lan's harrowing past experiences and Hương's present-day struggles in war-torn Hanoi.
This is a complex and beautiful, although a tough read. The story is filled with the effects of war, poverty, hunger, and hardships Diệu Lan and her family endured. It spans many decades, covering The Great Land Reforms, the American War, and the rise of Communism in Vietnam.
However, amidst the struggles, the novel also emphasises the themes of family and hope, portraying the resilient human spirit that persists through difficult times. Love for family forms the story's foundation, as characters await the return of their loved ones from war, facing the invisible rifts that war can create within a family.
Immersed in Vietnam’s culture and lush landscapes, the book offers an emotional journey through the eyes of Diệu Lan and Hương. ( My favourite aspect of the book ).
It sheds light on how a common family can be affected by war and how lives can change overnight, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar history through the eyes of a Vietnamese family.
For readers who enjoy historical fiction that is deep, emotional, and culturally insightful, The Mountains Sing is a must-read. It’s a book that will leave a lasting impact, resonating with its themes of love, loss, and the unbreakable human spirit.
wilkerwyrm's review against another edition
5.0
Such a beautiful work. So touching and intimate while being vast in the scope of time it addresses. A pleasure to read.
livvy246's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
swilliamsj's review against another edition
4.0
I would argue this is the Vietnamese "Beloved" and as a Vietnamese-American it brought so many emotions as I took my time (almost a month) to read through this heavy narrative. I appreciate the focus on a North Vietnamese family, specifically the back and forth narration between Trần Diệu Lan and Hương. The relationships between Vietnamese mothers and their children was handled with so much love and care I was reminded of my own mother and grandmother's experiences growing up and eventually choosing to leave Vietnam. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai weaves nearly 30 years worth of history which is an impressive feat and highly appreciated as I learned a lot about the lives of Vietnamese civilians during French colonization and Japanese occupation. Where the book falls a little flat for me is its messaging around communism and imperialism. I'm not too frustrated with the lack of space given to adressing anything about the American violence because honestly I've heard enough and I think a Vietnamese story can stand on its own without giving to much agency and pages to extrapolating American harm and violence (Hollywood has already done that). However, I do think the portrayals of some pro-communist characters or communist supporters in the novel were a bit flat, lazy, and with a tone of not being "in the right" compared to the centrist characters within the novel. It allows for nuance yes, but tries to "both sides" the issue of the Vietnam War which personally and politically I do not agree with. Still, this was a wonderful story to read about a family grappling with the effects and aftermath of war and reconciliation while seeking strength and hope from the women (and men) around them.
thebookishbint's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
kmoneill's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mschoo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
arisa9290275's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
3.0
3.0.
The Mountains Sing is a historical novel on the generations of mishap within a Vietnamese family through the 20th century. French colonialism, Japanese occupation during WWII, the Great Famine, and the Vietnam War test test the grit and endurance of Huong's family.
I learned a lot about the turmoil leading up to the Vietnam War, which is pretty much the only lens in which we view the country at least in American history. Through the book, we see how much Huong's grandmother's generation survived into the 1970s and there never seems to be an end to the violence and tragedy. Despite this, the book read as a series of traumatic, almost sensational events strung together-- as if the author put together stories together that she learned from someone else. The dialogue and general character development was dull and awkward, likely due to overarching timeframe that the story takes place.
Although I appreciate the humanism that such book shines on historical events, it did not flow together as a cohesive story and it may have been more impactful to focus on each as their own.
The Mountains Sing is a historical novel on the generations of mishap within a Vietnamese family through the 20th century. French colonialism, Japanese occupation during WWII, the Great Famine, and the Vietnam War test test the grit and endurance of Huong's family.
I learned a lot about the turmoil leading up to the Vietnam War, which is pretty much the only lens in which we view the country at least in American history. Through the book, we see how much Huong's grandmother's generation survived into the 1970s and there never seems to be an end to the violence and tragedy. Despite this, the book read as a series of traumatic, almost sensational events strung together-- as if the author put together stories together that she learned from someone else. The dialogue and general character development was dull and awkward, likely due to overarching timeframe that the story takes place.
Although I appreciate the humanism that such book shines on historical events, it did not flow together as a cohesive story and it may have been more impactful to focus on each as their own.