smalefowles's review against another edition
3.0
Who would have thought that even my attempt to read work by a Beijinger would lead me back to the IWW? Can no one write a short story nowadays without a sojourn in the corn fields?
The stories here have a little bit of the corn about them, yet are saved by what I find hauntingly inexplicable. Perhaps it's a cultural difference, but perhaps it's just that these stories capture the contemporary moment, still caught between connection and total atomization.
Certainly worth reading.
The stories here have a little bit of the corn about them, yet are saved by what I find hauntingly inexplicable. Perhaps it's a cultural difference, but perhaps it's just that these stories capture the contemporary moment, still caught between connection and total atomization.
Certainly worth reading.
chirson's review against another edition
4.0
Okładka porównuje prozę Yiyun Li do Nabokowa i Czechowa, ale spokojnie widać tu też podobieństwa do opowiadań Alice Munro. Światy zamieszkiwane przez postaci są pełne niedopowiedzień, niespełnionych namiętności (albo i żyć) i kompromisów. Części tekstów brakowało - w moim odczuciu - tego ostatecznego sznytu, zgrabnej pointy (lub braku pointy) jak to u Munro, które tak zupełnie do mnie trafia, ale nawet bez tej doskonałości, sporo tekstów czytało się znakomicie. Niemniej jednak, niezmiernie ciekawe winiety dotyczące mieszkańców Chin i osadzone w czasie i miejscu.
(Język trochę wydawał mi się miejscami niezgrabny, być może z winy tłumaczenia, a może po prostu proza trudno przekładalna; za to idiosynkratycznie nieregularne i częste zmiany perspektywy bardzo do mnie z jakiegoś powodu trafiły).
(Ulubione teksty: Dobroć, Płonący dom i tytułowe opowiadanie.)
(Język trochę wydawał mi się miejscami niezgrabny, być może z winy tłumaczenia, a może po prostu proza trudno przekładalna; za to idiosynkratycznie nieregularne i częste zmiany perspektywy bardzo do mnie z jakiegoś powodu trafiły).
(Ulubione teksty: Dobroć, Płonący dom i tytułowe opowiadanie.)
jaysnothere's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sradetsky's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
thecolorsofhelen's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tessaays's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this, but it was just a bit forgettable. The first story was by far my favourite but it felt like it wanted to be a novel, not a short story. Gorgeous characters and great narrative tension, but it ended quite suddenly and things didn’t really improve for the rest of the collection for me, unfortunately.
aniastef86's review against another edition
4.0
Una Cina segnata dal regime dove il cibo è razionato (così come i preservativi), dove il ruolo della donna è quello di soddisfare l’uomo che ha sposato (spesso non per scelta), dove le anziane vengono chiamate “ziette” per rispetto, dove “l’amante di Lady Chatterley” fa parte dei libri vietati; la Cina del controllo delle nascite, delle emozioni chiuse in un cassetto perché mostrare i propri sentimenti è considerato sconveniente, dei padri che salutano i figli con una stretta di mano, del servizio militare obbligatorio per tutti, femmine comprese. Racconti quelli di Yiyun Li molto malinconici, velati di tristezza in cui si confrontano e scontrano le vecchie e le nuove generazioni mettendo in risalto l’impercettibile linea di confine tra saggezza e ottusità per le prime e tra immaturità e desiderio di cambiamento per le seconde. Consigliato? Si, perché è davvero un viaggio interessante e permette al lettore di conoscere una briciola di quel territorio enorme che è la Cina.
yellowhouselady's review against another edition
4.0
I was captivated by these stories. They all drew me into worlds of which I was unaware, sort of like traveling. The overlapping themes of family and romantic relationships provided much food for thought.
briqhtkit's review against another edition
4.0
this was interesting and I really liked the title story but most of the characters felt hella similar bc they focus so centrally on middle-aged life