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suvata's review against another edition
5.0
• TBR since May 23, 2018
Summary
In luminous prose, award-winning author Yiyun Li weaves together the lives of unforgettable characters who are forced to make moral choices, and choices for survival, in China in the late 1970s.
As morning dawns on the provincial city of Muddy River, a spirited young woman, Gu Shan, once a devoted follower of Chairman Mao, has renounced her faith in Communism. Now a political prisoner, she is to be executed for her dissent.
Summary
In luminous prose, award-winning author Yiyun Li weaves together the lives of unforgettable characters who are forced to make moral choices, and choices for survival, in China in the late 1970s.
As morning dawns on the provincial city of Muddy River, a spirited young woman, Gu Shan, once a devoted follower of Chairman Mao, has renounced her faith in Communism. Now a political prisoner, she is to be executed for her dissent.
christar_123's review against another edition
4.0
Intertwining events and an interesting collection of characters who I actually cared about...There were many small connections and tangential occurrences that all tied together - something I really enjoy in novels. China in the post-Cultural Revolution time (1970s) is a time that I haven't really studied - I think many books that I read deal with either the Cultural Revolution itself or a more modern China so this was a really interesting time-frame for me to read about.
joakley's review against another edition
5.0
Elite writing. Story of a small city in communist China in the 70s/80s, follows a cast of characters and is a continuous mesmerizing interweaving of identities and narratives. Everything fits together, but not in an over the top soap opera-y way, you just get this full powerful picture of the city and its troubles. Can be pretty morbid, but the feelings and the characters feel so real and intimate
EDIT: I feel like this review doesn’t describe how good it was so I’m adding this. There is a heart to this novel, and as each story unfolds, with each little specific moment and detail, though it feels small and tied to the context of that character, every detail peels back the curtain that obscures that heart, that deeper truth of the book. So you begin to see a little bit more of it with each page. I don’t think I can fully explain what that truth is, but like all great novels it is regarding what it means to be a human that exists
EDIT: I feel like this review doesn’t describe how good it was so I’m adding this. There is a heart to this novel, and as each story unfolds, with each little specific moment and detail, though it feels small and tied to the context of that character, every detail peels back the curtain that obscures that heart, that deeper truth of the book. So you begin to see a little bit more of it with each page. I don’t think I can fully explain what that truth is, but like all great novels it is regarding what it means to be a human that exists
ponderinstuff's review against another edition
2.0
Most people will probably like this book but it was only so-so for me. Can't really put my finger on why, other than a few of the animal scenes were disturbing to me.
maxgene's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
murphyem05's review against another edition
2.0
I felt there was just too much going on in this book. If it had focused on only a fraction of the characters i might have found this a little more interesting.
misterintensity's review against another edition
4.0
An examination of the impact of the execution of Gu Shan, a young woman tried as a counterrevolutionary in post-Cultural Revolution China. This book looks at what happens in a society where if you deviate from the social script you are bound to be condemned.
babyc24's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
mandapandaca's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
laurakatarooma's review against another edition
5.0
Olipas se. Kun tarina imaisi mukaansa, ei kirjaa olisi halunnu laskea käsistä. Sitten taas viimeistä osaa ei olisi halunnu lukea, koska ei halunnu tietää miten ihmisille käy. Ihmisten julmuus ja sokeus yhtä aikaa ei yllätä ja yllättää. Ja Kiinan systeemit on kauheat. Todella hyvä kirja. Herättää paljon ajatuksia. Kannatti lukea.