marilynsyy's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve always liked hearing the stories lost amidst progress and evolution, the perspectives of the ones ignored and left behind by time. Especially in sg, where the structural development of our country is constantly evolving - to the point where history tends to get lost between the cracks.
I only wish the story had delved deeper into the direct effects of cleaning the river on the people who lived there, would like to find out more from Weng’s perspective. And also, the switches in povs was a little hard to follow along at first.
I only wish the story had delved deeper into the direct effects of cleaning the river on the people who lived there, would like to find out more from Weng’s perspective. And also, the switches in povs was a little hard to follow along at first.
maggersann's review against another edition
5.0
Ping's story is not one I will forget easily. Her exploration of music and life in the United States and Singapore defines her as a person in a beautiful way that shows that music is love, and music is healing.
tehpengpls's review against another edition
4.0
4.5*
I really enjoyed the use of (mostly accurate) Singlish and the inclusion of small details that make Singapore so unique :)
Uncomfortable themes were used in this book which made it slightly difficult to read at times, but necessary.
I really enjoyed the use of (mostly accurate) Singlish and the inclusion of small details that make Singapore so unique :)
Uncomfortable themes were used in this book which made it slightly difficult to read at times, but necessary.
extemporalli's review against another edition
2.0
Mmm, I think Suchen Christine Lim might be more suited to the short story. Despite containing some good moments and a very compelling STORY, this novel definitely felt quite meandering and many of the characters weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. This isn't totally fair, in the sense that I am comparing this less-good book to an incandescently-wonderful book, but it struck me not long after finishing that The River's Song is actually remarkably similar to Americanah in plot: two lovers are childhood sweethearts but are torn apart by ineluctable circumstances; one spends years as a student in America (of course, while Adichie's novel dwells at length on the difficulties her heroine faces and race issues that emerge; Lim is comparatively silent, with her heroine's achievement of a satisfying career and an ill-fated marriage reading as comparatively flat non-events compared to the past), while the other plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in the UK / is detained for the better part of a year by the ISD as a result of his labour organising activities. Prior to that separation, there is a misunderstanding, which is never cleared up, except only after years, during the second-chance reunion, in which both parties have to come to terms with their previous disappointments in order to rekindle love once again.
Thinking about the remarkable similarities between The River's Song and Americanah made me realise the difference between writing that makes you care about the characters, and writing that itself seems to pass the time (to say nothing of the plodding reader). I would have loved to read a Singapore novel that made me care about the characters to the same extent that I do Adichie's - it's a pity that, despite the surface parallels, this doesn't quite achieve it.
Thinking about the remarkable similarities between The River's Song and Americanah made me realise the difference between writing that makes you care about the characters, and writing that itself seems to pass the time (to say nothing of the plodding reader). I would have loved to read a Singapore novel that made me care about the characters to the same extent that I do Adichie's - it's a pity that, despite the surface parallels, this doesn't quite achieve it.
gindokki's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully woven tale of Singapore’s past and present; there were so many little details of Ping’s past that I loved reading about, of a Singapore I’ve only heard about and imagined, but have never actually seen. Stories like this are truly a treasure.
lostbetweenpages's review against another edition
4.0
4.5*
I really enjoyed the use of (mostly accurate) Singlish and the inclusion of small details that make Singapore so unique :)
Uncomfortable themes were used in this book which made it slightly difficult to read at times, but necessary.
I really enjoyed the use of (mostly accurate) Singlish and the inclusion of small details that make Singapore so unique :)
Uncomfortable themes were used in this book which made it slightly difficult to read at times, but necessary.
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