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qqjj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
vireogirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Deportation
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The coolest part about this book is that it’s sort of meta–historical fiction. (William) Somerset Maugham, a famous author in the early 1900s, wrote a collection called The Casuarina Tree, which contained a story called “The Letter.” That story was based on real events. This book fictionalizes Maugham’s trip to Penang, where a friend told him about the events that eventually made it into “The Letter.” And in this book, The Casuarina Tree and “The Letter” both also eventually get published.
And yet that’s not even the main plot. The story is told across three timelines, with plenty of flashback as the main character confesses a secret personal history to Maugham. I don’t want to tell you too much about it because the joy is in the discovery, but Eng gives us much to think about when it comes to secrets, fidelity, marriage, gender roles, and what it means to live a good life full of love.
The writing is perhaps a bit more flowery than some people will like, but I enjoyed it. The setting really came to life, and the story was gripping. Glad I read it!
Graphic: Homophobia and Infidelity
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Rape and Colonisation
rieviolet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The writing style is good but at times it gets a bit too much overwritten and descriptive for my personal taste, and that was an issue I had with his previous book too. It's not that I don't appreciate a nice metaphor or simile from time to time, but here there is definitely an overabundance of them.
The setting and the historical background are really interesting but I struggled a lot with the characters. It's not just that they were (almost all) quite unlikeable, I also found it difficult to connect with them, they felt distant and a bit flat. By the end, I didn't care much to learn more about them and about what their fate would be, I was more interested in getting a resolution for the plot concerning the trial/murder mystery.
I've heard from another reviewer that it felt a bit like this book lacked a clear centre onto which the reader could focus, and I completely agree. There is a lot going on (multiple story threads plus a double POV), but in the end I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from it.
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Miscarriage, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Classism
machenn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Blood, Murder, and Colonisation
rei_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
geraldinerowe's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Abandonment
kirstym25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity and Colonisation
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, and Murder
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The action really begins with the novelist W Somerset Maugham visiting Robert Hamlyn, an old school friend, and his wife Lesley and from there unspools in several equally intriguing directions. One key thread involves Maugham himself, his sham marriage, his ill-health, relationship with his male secretary, a major financial crisis which falls him, and his desperate need to produce a new book. Another key thread is the story Lesley tells him about her friend Ethel Proudfoot, who was accused of murder after shooting a man she claimed tried to rape her. The courtroom scenes made for compelling reading, especially when I learnt that this was a real case. Another key strand involves Sun Yat Sen’s arrival in Penang, his efforts to drum up support, particular financial, for his plans to overthrow the Chinese emperor and Lesley ‘s involvement in the cause. There is all sorts of forbidden love - love that defied marital bounds, racial boundaries, and accepted gender based sexuality - love that highlights the gaps between public and private selves. The story also showed the relative powerlessness of women. Lesley is expected to bow to the whims of her husband, while the twist in Ethel’s case is shocking and clearly highlights female disempowerment. Tying much of this together was the theme of memory and storytelling - whose memories can we trust and who has the right to tell our stories, questions that are still very relevant today.
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, and Murder