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A review by arisa9290275
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
3.0.
The Mountains Sing is a historical novel on the generations of mishap within a Vietnamese family through the 20th century. French colonialism, Japanese occupation during WWII, the Great Famine, and the Vietnam War test test the grit and endurance of Huong's family.
I learned a lot about the turmoil leading up to the Vietnam War, which is pretty much the only lens in which we view the country at least in American history. Through the book, we see how much Huong's grandmother's generation survived into the 1970s and there never seems to be an end to the violence and tragedy. Despite this, the book read as a series of traumatic, almost sensational events strung together-- as if the author put together stories together that she learned from someone else. The dialogue and general character development was dull and awkward, likely due to overarching timeframe that the story takes place.
Although I appreciate the humanism that such book shines on historical events, it did not flow together as a cohesive story and it may have been more impactful to focus on each as their own.
The Mountains Sing is a historical novel on the generations of mishap within a Vietnamese family through the 20th century. French colonialism, Japanese occupation during WWII, the Great Famine, and the Vietnam War test test the grit and endurance of Huong's family.
I learned a lot about the turmoil leading up to the Vietnam War, which is pretty much the only lens in which we view the country at least in American history. Through the book, we see how much Huong's grandmother's generation survived into the 1970s and there never seems to be an end to the violence and tragedy. Despite this, the book read as a series of traumatic, almost sensational events strung together-- as if the author put together stories together that she learned from someone else. The dialogue and general character development was dull and awkward, likely due to overarching timeframe that the story takes place.
Although I appreciate the humanism that such book shines on historical events, it did not flow together as a cohesive story and it may have been more impactful to focus on each as their own.