Scan barcode
eliicapss's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
bibliophage's review against another edition
I loved the first short story (Diary of a Madman), it's excellent. The other stories are good but not quite as gripping as the first.
elle_reads's review against another edition
3.0
(Instagram @elle_reads)
BOOK REVIEW
[Diary of a Madman] A madman’s diary holds stories across revolutionary China.
//
WHAT I LIKED
Lu Xun’s writing defies genre. I still don’t know if I should classify it as an unreliable narrator, an anthology of short stories, a manifesto…hmmm... I suppose it is all of those things. The book begins with a short introduction in which a character reads a childhood friend’s diary. The friend is said to have gone mad, but it now safely working for the government in another province (smells fishy, right?). Anyway, the introduction narrator opens the diary and away we go.
//
Every passage could be completely new. From characters to setting, Lu Xun stretches his writing across many perspectives of the "madman's” China. Some of the stories are retelling of classic myths, others are letters between colleagues. Lu Xun captures you into the new setting within a few lines. His inferencing clues left for the reader are fantastic.
//
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The first few chapters were my favorite. I loved the building of the story frame within the madman’s mind. There is no end to the story frame, and I wish there was more written about it! (But I understand this is quintessential Lu Fun move.) This book’s constant change eats at your stamina, but each chapter brings something new. I would also recommend brushing up on any knowledge of China’s cultural revolution and modernism movement before reading. Lu Xun’s wonderful allusions may be lost without this prior knowledge.
//
Diary of a Madman (Lu Xun) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5
BOOK REVIEW
[Diary of a Madman] A madman’s diary holds stories across revolutionary China.
//
WHAT I LIKED
Lu Xun’s writing defies genre. I still don’t know if I should classify it as an unreliable narrator, an anthology of short stories, a manifesto…hmmm... I suppose it is all of those things. The book begins with a short introduction in which a character reads a childhood friend’s diary. The friend is said to have gone mad, but it now safely working for the government in another province (smells fishy, right?). Anyway, the introduction narrator opens the diary and away we go.
//
Every passage could be completely new. From characters to setting, Lu Xun stretches his writing across many perspectives of the "madman's” China. Some of the stories are retelling of classic myths, others are letters between colleagues. Lu Xun captures you into the new setting within a few lines. His inferencing clues left for the reader are fantastic.
//
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The first few chapters were my favorite. I loved the building of the story frame within the madman’s mind. There is no end to the story frame, and I wish there was more written about it! (But I understand this is quintessential Lu Fun move.) This book’s constant change eats at your stamina, but each chapter brings something new. I would also recommend brushing up on any knowledge of China’s cultural revolution and modernism movement before reading. Lu Xun’s wonderful allusions may be lost without this prior knowledge.
//
Diary of a Madman (Lu Xun) ⚡️⚡️⚡️3/5