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fourtriplezed's review against another edition
3.0
A Hong Kong family history covering a time frame of 70 years that involves both Chinese and expats that is ideal for those that want an interesting but easy to read story.
One small error was the author calling the Jacaranda Tree flame red when it is purple. I think he meant Flamboyant Flame Trees as they are known in Hong Kong.
One small error was the author calling the Jacaranda Tree flame red when it is purple. I think he meant Flamboyant Flame Trees as they are known in Hong Kong.
danscoada's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
4.0
The first three parts had me gripped, but its hold lost me in the last part - I just didn’t care as much.
snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books that I really enjoyed and yet will struggle to say why. It's got a really good story spanning several generations of life and change in Hong Kong, great characters and it's very well written - you learn about Hong Kong's history throughout the story, but you never feel like you are being educated. Little touches just ring so true - one character is asked which is their favourite of Governor Chris Patten's daughters. When I lived in Bath & he was the MP, that was often a topic of conversation! All in all, it's an absorbing read.
momey's review against another edition
5.0
Really liked this. liked the three different stories, liked that the ending didnt tie everything up. especially appreciated descriptions of wartime HK after reading Family Romance
carolynal's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I really struggled to finish this. I enjoyed it well enough when I was reading it but it just seemed never ending!
never4get's review against another edition
4.0
Engrossing narrative style by John Lanchester, encapsulating the post WWII history of China-Hong Kong development through the lives of his characters. Illuminating and totally absorbing. Tom Stewart, immigrant from England, Chinese Nun Sister Maria - who teaches him Cantonese aboard ship from England, Dawn Stone, an English journalist who makes good in modern HK, and a young Chinese man tracing his family history. Stories interwoven through time and place.
flyingbulgarian's review against another edition
3.0
I admire John Lanchester and I understand that he has lived in Hong Kong so has authority to write on the subject. And I had to keep on reminding myself that the book was published in 2003, so quite a while ago. I also learnt that the large birds I see every day from my windows are eagles not hawks as I previously thought... But I cannot forgive some things. I cannot forgive a man writing about a one dimensional female character who self-proclaims herself as “shit-hot” and has no flaws, no insecurities and is just confident, self-absorbed and obsessed with money. It‘s just one dimensional and that’s not what women are like. Or Sister Maria, whose only two qualities are her love of God and her mission, and of course, our main character... I just don’t buy this author’s attempts to write female characters.
Leaving that aside, I really liked how the story of seemingly 4 unconnected people is actually connected through the book - different decades, different people and yet they all share something in common. Unsurprisingly, the story of the white man is at the centre of the book but I see nothing wrong with that.
Learnt quite a bit more about the place I call home, particularly what war time Hong Kong during WW2 must have been like, how people lived etc.
I will read other books by the same author. But I also won’t be recommending this anytime soon. James Clavell’s books Tai Pan and Noble House remain my favourite fictional books about Hong Kong - for a good reason.
Leaving that aside, I really liked how the story of seemingly 4 unconnected people is actually connected through the book - different decades, different people and yet they all share something in common. Unsurprisingly, the story of the white man is at the centre of the book but I see nothing wrong with that.
Learnt quite a bit more about the place I call home, particularly what war time Hong Kong during WW2 must have been like, how people lived etc.
I will read other books by the same author. But I also won’t be recommending this anytime soon. James Clavell’s books Tai Pan and Noble House remain my favourite fictional books about Hong Kong - for a good reason.
serenityyou's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was our April Book club pick.
It's a historical fiction about a man who travels to Hong Kong. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed reading this one and would have put it down after a few chapters. The only reason I didn't was that it was for my book club. But after I while it did pick up a bit. I liked learning about Hong Kong and what went on there as most of this is based on true events.
Ok read. 3/5 stars
It's a historical fiction about a man who travels to Hong Kong. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed reading this one and would have put it down after a few chapters. The only reason I didn't was that it was for my book club. But after I while it did pick up a bit. I liked learning about Hong Kong and what went on there as most of this is based on true events.
Ok read. 3/5 stars
choward's review against another edition
3.0
The first part of the book seemed completely unrelated to the book summary on back, but really it was just the more modern part first and it ties back in at the end. The plot twist at the end I thought wasn't all that well done - it came more as a huh? moment than a revelation. I would have liked it to be more personal, but since the book spans 7 decades it feels like everything gets glossed over and you become less invested in the characters as the book goes on. It did give a look at Hong Kong through time in summary that I thought was interesting.
jdukuray's review against another edition
3.0
John Lanchester is one of my favorite writers and this book is beautifully written in parts. It is also ambitious in structure: the greater part follows the career of Tom, an expat hotelier in Hong Kong from the 30s through the war and into the 1960s. This is framed by some present day action, mostly concerning the business interests of Tom's grandson. The long center section is interesting and Tom is a convincing character. I cannot say the same for the framing sections at the beginning and end of the novel, which were much less interesting and even opaque to me.
Lanchester's more recent novel, Capital, is much better and I would recommend highly. Lanchester writes on economics and I love his lucid and involving nonfiction pieces many of which appear in LRB. To the extent I understand credit default swaps, I owe entirely to his great book called IOU: Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay.
Lanchester's more recent novel, Capital, is much better and I would recommend highly. Lanchester writes on economics and I love his lucid and involving nonfiction pieces many of which appear in LRB. To the extent I understand credit default swaps, I owe entirely to his great book called IOU: Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay.