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nataliewalsh_'s review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
foursythia's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
followyourfeetfriday's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.25
spyralnode's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
As you can infer by the title, this is quite an enigmatic book. It manages to not be too over the top or come across as self-important, yet it makes your brain work, it's very much open to personal interpretation.
The structure is stories within a story: as we are following two partners within their relationship, they tell each other stories. These are often Chinese folk tales told by the narrator, or reflections based on works of art they have interacted with. And both storylines were pretty much equally interesting to me. The tales are short and disconnected from one another, while the main plotline is continuous and examines more closely the dynamics between the narrator and his partner. And it's up to you what you do with the information here, it's up to what context, what prejudices, who you are, that will impact how you read this, what you read between the lines.
There is a lot of art mentioned here, for example Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, Czech-French novelist Milan Kundera, American philosopher Judith Butler or Japanese writer Natsume Sōseki. This very much spoke to my own interests.
For example, 'In the Mood for Love' is one of my favourite films, so learning how it has been critiqued in the East compared to the West was very educational. I have never been to Hong Kong and don't have a good understanding of their culture, I didn't know that it was regarded as more profit-driven due to its heavy financial sector, though maybe I could've guessed if I had thought about it more. So when it comes to Wong Kar-wai films, they are generally commercially unsuccessful in Hong Kong, they are seen as too artistic and pretentious.
I also loved this passage: 'In the Meiji Era, Natsume Soseki translated the English phrase I love you as The moon is beautiful, isn’t it? He believed that feelings should be expressed indirectly rather than directly. And to him, that question—the moon is beautiful, isn’t it?—perfectly captured the state of affection known as love.'
And it's not only through art that these two travel, it is also through visiting other countries. We follow them on the streets of Macau, where they eat Portuguese tarts and comment on the bilingual Portuguese and Cantonese, though only 7% of residents speak any Portuguese. They drink milk tea in Hong Kong and buy noodles in Toronto. They have English breakfast in Prague where they not only poke fun at a street entertainer on Charles Bridge, but are also left wondering what stabbing him means. There is so much to learn from this book when it comes to different cultures, intersectionality and being pulled in different directions of identity, and it all has a richness captured to food, architecture and definitely atmosphere.
In terms of the Chinese folk tales, one that I know better is the Moon Goddess one (basically from my recently read 'Daughter of the Moon Goddess' by Sue Lynn Tan, which I'd highly recommend) so finding out about a different theory and how the two protagonists interpreted it was very interesting. Why did Chang'e drink the elixir? What does her choice say about her feelings for her husband? Is immortality desirable?
As much as this was a smart and clever read, it also allows for a lot of personal connection, as you can clearly see I was super pleased to find.
The structure is stories within a story: as we are following two partners within their relationship, they tell each other stories. These are often Chinese folk tales told by the narrator, or reflections based on works of art they have interacted with. And both storylines were pretty much equally interesting to me. The tales are short and disconnected from one another, while the main plotline is continuous and examines more closely the dynamics between the narrator and his partner. And it's up to you what you do with the information here, it's up to what context, what prejudices, who you are, that will impact how you read this, what you read between the lines.
There is a lot of art mentioned here, for example Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, Czech-French novelist Milan Kundera, American philosopher Judith Butler or Japanese writer Natsume Sōseki. This very much spoke to my own interests.
For example, 'In the Mood for Love' is one of my favourite films, so learning how it has been critiqued in the East compared to the West was very educational. I have never been to Hong Kong and don't have a good understanding of their culture, I didn't know that it was regarded as more profit-driven due to its heavy financial sector, though maybe I could've guessed if I had thought about it more. So when it comes to Wong Kar-wai films, they are generally commercially unsuccessful in Hong Kong, they are seen as too artistic and pretentious.
I also loved this passage: 'In the Meiji Era, Natsume Soseki translated the English phrase I love you as The moon is beautiful, isn’t it? He believed that feelings should be expressed indirectly rather than directly. And to him, that question—the moon is beautiful, isn’t it?—perfectly captured the state of affection known as love.'
And it's not only through art that these two travel, it is also through visiting other countries. We follow them on the streets of Macau, where they eat Portuguese tarts and comment on the bilingual Portuguese and Cantonese, though only 7% of residents speak any Portuguese. They drink milk tea in Hong Kong and buy noodles in Toronto. They have English breakfast in Prague where they not only poke fun at a street entertainer on Charles Bridge, but are also left wondering what stabbing him means. There is so much to learn from this book when it comes to different cultures, intersectionality and being pulled in different directions of identity, and it all has a richness captured to food, architecture and definitely atmosphere.
In terms of the Chinese folk tales, one that I know better is the Moon Goddess one (basically from my recently read 'Daughter of the Moon Goddess' by Sue Lynn Tan, which I'd highly recommend) so finding out about a different theory and how the two protagonists interpreted it was very interesting. Why did Chang'e drink the elixir? What does her choice say about her feelings for her husband? Is immortality desirable?
As much as this was a smart and clever read, it also allows for a lot of personal connection, as you can clearly see I was super pleased to find.
itsmeamethyst's review
4.0
This is a smart and romantic tale of a young man and woman who live in Toronto but travel the globe telling each other stories and folktales. The story uses memory recall to detail specific events of their relationship. Parts are written as if he’s writing directly to her, other parts he writes to himself.
Playful banter and social criticism are used as these two characters explore food, art, culture, identity (including race/Orientalism, religion, and language), and what it means to exist between spaces and identities. It is also about desire and how we value ourselves and each other: Attractiveness, interests, career, and education.
From the acknowledgments, it appears it is based on a real love and experienced (at least loosely). I’m rooting for this couple and hope they are still challenging and loving each other.
Thank you to Sheung-King, ECW Press Audio, Book’hug Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Playful banter and social criticism are used as these two characters explore food, art, culture, identity (including race/Orientalism, religion, and language), and what it means to exist between spaces and identities. It is also about desire and how we value ourselves and each other: Attractiveness, interests, career, and education.
From the acknowledgments, it appears it is based on a real love and experienced (at least loosely). I’m rooting for this couple and hope they are still challenging and loving each other.
Thank you to Sheung-King, ECW Press Audio, Book’hug Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
itsmeamethyst's review against another edition
4.0
This is a high-minded and romantic tale of a young man and woman who live in Toronto but travel the globe telling each other stories and folktales. The story uses memory to recall specific events in their relationship. Parts are written as if he’s writing directly to her, other parts he writes to himself.
Playful banter and social criticism are used as these two characters explore food, art, culture, identity (including race/Orientalism, religion, and language), and what it means to exist between spaces and identities. It is also about desire and how we value ourselves and each other: Attractiveness, interests, career, and education.
From the acknowledgments, it appears it is based on real love and experiences (at least loosely). I’m rooting for this couple and hope they are still challenging and loving each other.
Thank you to Sheung-King, ECW Press Audio, Book’hug Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Playful banter and social criticism are used as these two characters explore food, art, culture, identity (including race/Orientalism, religion, and language), and what it means to exist between spaces and identities. It is also about desire and how we value ourselves and each other: Attractiveness, interests, career, and education.
From the acknowledgments, it appears it is based on real love and experiences (at least loosely). I’m rooting for this couple and hope they are still challenging and loving each other.
Thank you to Sheung-King, ECW Press Audio, Book’hug Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
markwillnevercry's review
0.5
This book felt like a toxic relationship, that I got forced into. That is just kinda it. Do not read this book, I hated my time with it, except for the parts, that had nothing to do with the relatioship. The relatioship was the main plot.
fireblend's review against another edition
4.0
I really dug this breezy series of somewhat disconnected, mundane vignettes that illustrate a relationship between the narrator and the "you" they talk to in second person in a way that's full of delicious melancholy, punctuated by the folktales they like to tell each other and discussions around them. It's very confidently written and it's executed brilliantly up til the last word. Had a great time.
rdellavalle's review
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
kokechii's review against another edition
2.0
They said folktales and Wong Kar Wai and I was in.
Sadly about half way through the book I badly wanted out. The writing style was for me the biggest problem. So disjointed at times that I often felt lost, like whole parts or sentences were missing. The jumping of thoughts and meandering around made it really hard for me to connect to the narrator in any way. (Like the very ending - this isn't a spoiler - mentions both Before Sunset and Moon River and I hated those references because it's so dependent on the reality that the reader both saw and heard them to understand why he's even mentioning them and just... yeah. Show, don't tell?)
Didn't like the narrator nor his girlfriend and I remember the first time a sexual act was mentioned it came out of the left field for me so much so that I reeled back from my Kindle because just... What? The whole book felt like that, me constantly saying What??
The only thing I liked were the actual Chinese folktales.
Sadly about half way through the book I badly wanted out. The writing style was for me the biggest problem. So disjointed at times that I often felt lost, like whole parts or sentences were missing. The jumping of thoughts and meandering around made it really hard for me to connect to the narrator in any way. (Like the very ending - this isn't a spoiler - mentions both Before Sunset and Moon River and I hated those references because it's so dependent on the reality that the reader both saw and heard them to understand why he's even mentioning them and just... yeah. Show, don't tell?)
Didn't like the narrator nor his girlfriend and I remember the first time a sexual act was mentioned it came out of the left field for me so much so that I reeled back from my Kindle because just... What? The whole book felt like that, me constantly saying What??
The only thing I liked were the actual Chinese folktales.