Scan barcode
A review by hgranger
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
3.0
I finished this book in less than a day because I just had to know what would happen. Then I kicked myself because I should have taken the rather obvious clue from "The Prince, The Princess, and the Crocodile" and known that it would result in me sobbing ugly, snotty tears. So there's that.
I like the message that life doesn't have to have a happy ending to be beautiful. I liked Su Kyi's approach to life -- bad things happen to everyone, you can't control it, just try to find happiness when you can. I liked Julia's journey of discovery, and the descriptions that made me feel like I was right there in Burma (Myanmar!) with Tin Win, Mi Mi, and later Julia too. It is also interesting to read about superstitions that govern people's lives. (Tin's mother, uncle, etc.) Sometimes they seem ridiculous but are hey any more or less so than the things we let control us?
On the negative side: I don't like feeling emotionally manipulated, and I felt that I had been at the end of the book. The lovers dying together after one last reunion...meh. I prefer some good years with a bit of bickering but happiness found in everyday life. Also, Tin Win and Mi Mi's love story is very beautiful, but...
- she's a little too perfect. She really doesn't even get a little miffed when that abominable uncle sends her the letter? Come on!
- the "hidden letters" scenario is too used and too lazy as a tool to move the story along. Sorry. At some point, send a messenger if you're not getting a response.
- no matter how sweet and poignant and utterly unfair T and M's love story was, it's not enough for him to smile enigmatically and then just disappear. (Like his mother did to him....) He owed it to his family to at least say goodbye. No bueno, Tin.
I like the message that life doesn't have to have a happy ending to be beautiful. I liked Su Kyi's approach to life -- bad things happen to everyone, you can't control it, just try to find happiness when you can. I liked Julia's journey of discovery, and the descriptions that made me feel like I was right there in Burma (Myanmar!) with Tin Win, Mi Mi, and later Julia too. It is also interesting to read about superstitions that govern people's lives. (Tin's mother, uncle, etc.) Sometimes they seem ridiculous but are hey any more or less so than the things we let control us?
On the negative side: I don't like feeling emotionally manipulated, and I felt that I had been at the end of the book. The lovers dying together after one last reunion...meh. I prefer some good years with a bit of bickering but happiness found in everyday life. Also, Tin Win and Mi Mi's love story is very beautiful, but...
- she's a little too perfect. She really doesn't even get a little miffed when that abominable uncle sends her the letter? Come on!
- the "hidden letters" scenario is too used and too lazy as a tool to move the story along. Sorry. At some point, send a messenger if you're not getting a response.
- no matter how sweet and poignant and utterly unfair T and M's love story was, it's not enough for him to smile enigmatically and then just disappear. (Like his mother did to him....) He owed it to his family to at least say goodbye. No bueno, Tin.