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jlewr's review against another edition
4.0
A really quite remarkable collection of stories. In every story there is a great deal of pain from lost memories, lost lovers, lost families - so much human suffering following the Civil War in China.
While quite a few stories run through the staunch military culture that harkens back to great victories, Pai also covers the cosmopolitan lives of former great taxi-dancers of Shanghai and the politics played out across mah-jong tables.
If you want to just get an inkling of the many stories interwoven into some of Taiwan and China’s histories, this isn’t a bad place to start.
While quite a few stories run through the staunch military culture that harkens back to great victories, Pai also covers the cosmopolitan lives of former great taxi-dancers of Shanghai and the politics played out across mah-jong tables.
If you want to just get an inkling of the many stories interwoven into some of Taiwan and China’s histories, this isn’t a bad place to start.
anna1476's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
grahamiam's review against another edition
4.0
Nice slice of life stories. Lots of variety among the stories, but they all invoke a sort of nostalgic longing among the characters.
alisonwong's review against another edition
4.0
A varied collection of stories quietly exploring the Taiwanese context. Sometimes difficult to relate to, but that is my shortcoming, not the book’s.
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