A review by hannahbananali
The Border of Paradise by Esmé Weijun Wang
4.0
4.5 stars.
My god. Never have I read a novel so subtly horrifying and intensely unnerving. I can still feel myself mentally shuddering, as if something intrusive had burrowed itself underneath my skin. This book is deeply, deeply unsettling.
If I could pick three words to characterize or define this book I’d choose: Anguish. Isolation. Claustrophobic. I admit, when I scanned the summary of this novel I was doubtful and dismissive. But that’s because I realize now that it’s the bare bones of what this tale spans and although true seems inaccurate. Mental illness, trauma, and grief plague the Nowak family in this multi-generational novel. Some readers may find it slow and without a plot and they’re not wrong. It’s a pervasive study of the most horrid and pitiful people you can imagine.
This book invoked similar feelings I had while reading East of Eden and Wuthering Heights but if you asked me why or how, I would have no answer. There’s a sense of timelessness with the writing here: a cold and decaying house, a gut-wrenching forbidden relationship, and a near-apocalyptic fire. Yet Wang adds her own touch that transforms this into gold (if gold was dark and disturbing that is).
I was unsure with my rating because while THE BORDER OF PARADISE utterly impressed me, I couldn’t help but feel f***ing terrified in my entire reading experience.
My god. Never have I read a novel so subtly horrifying and intensely unnerving. I can still feel myself mentally shuddering, as if something intrusive had burrowed itself underneath my skin. This book is deeply, deeply unsettling.
If I could pick three words to characterize or define this book I’d choose: Anguish. Isolation. Claustrophobic. I admit, when I scanned the summary of this novel I was doubtful and dismissive. But that’s because I realize now that it’s the bare bones of what this tale spans and although true seems inaccurate. Mental illness, trauma, and grief plague the Nowak family in this multi-generational novel. Some readers may find it slow and without a plot and they’re not wrong. It’s a pervasive study of the most horrid and pitiful people you can imagine.
This book invoked similar feelings I had while reading East of Eden and Wuthering Heights but if you asked me why or how, I would have no answer. There’s a sense of timelessness with the writing here: a cold and decaying house, a gut-wrenching forbidden relationship, and a near-apocalyptic fire. Yet Wang adds her own touch that transforms this into gold (if gold was dark and disturbing that is).
I was unsure with my rating because while THE BORDER OF PARADISE utterly impressed me, I couldn’t help but feel f***ing terrified in my entire reading experience.