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myeonghopabo's review
4.5
if a book could be a work of art in all its conceptual glory, dream storeys would be it. paired and inspired by interviews conducted with real singaporean architects, the unorthodox short story collection juxtaposes the interview's hope and abstraction for fantasies of the future with a special breed of pessimism tinged with hope.
rachyrexaphous's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.5
olivetales's review
3.0
The book uses a really creative format (alternating interviews with short stories). The stories themselves were a bit hit or miss for me.
thesgtrekkiereads's review
4.0
I am sure that Ms Clara Chow’s name sounds familiar. Yes, you may have seen it earlier on in this issue as she contributed an article but you may have also seen it in The Straits Times as she used to be an Arts journalist with them.
I applaud Ms Chow for taking the brave step to getting down to writing her very first book. When I first received a copy of the book, I wondered what inspired her. I wondered no more as I read about that fateful conversation that led up to her putting together her first book titled Dream Storeys.
In a nutshell, I found this book rather fascinating and unique. Each chapter begins with an interview with an architect where she asks them to think of their dream building especially when there is no limit in terms of budget or space. Based on the replies she gets from her questions, Ms Chow creates fictional stories based on their descriptions.
I have always enjoyed Ms Chow’s writing when she was a journalist with The Straits Times. With Dream Storeys, I feel Ms Chow has worked out her creative juices even further as the stories covered numerous genres and each one were enjoyable. Some stories had hints of science-fiction in them, whilst others felt character-oriented.
There were many more interviews but some of them did not come to fruition as fiction tales. However, all the interviews with the said architects did help her learn and see things in different lights.
Some stories came pouring out of her, while others took a little while to develop. In my humble opinion, I felt that her style of story-telling was a rather refreshing change to what I usually read.
I admit, on one hand I was curious about Ms Chow’s book and on the other, I was hopeful that it would be good so that I could write a good review and not a scathing one. Thank goodness it is the former.
This is a recommended read for everyone, however, if you know of an architect, aspiring or otherwise, get him/her a copy because I think they will particularly enjoy it.
I applaud Ms Chow for taking the brave step to getting down to writing her very first book. When I first received a copy of the book, I wondered what inspired her. I wondered no more as I read about that fateful conversation that led up to her putting together her first book titled Dream Storeys.
In a nutshell, I found this book rather fascinating and unique. Each chapter begins with an interview with an architect where she asks them to think of their dream building especially when there is no limit in terms of budget or space. Based on the replies she gets from her questions, Ms Chow creates fictional stories based on their descriptions.
I have always enjoyed Ms Chow’s writing when she was a journalist with The Straits Times. With Dream Storeys, I feel Ms Chow has worked out her creative juices even further as the stories covered numerous genres and each one were enjoyable. Some stories had hints of science-fiction in them, whilst others felt character-oriented.
There were many more interviews but some of them did not come to fruition as fiction tales. However, all the interviews with the said architects did help her learn and see things in different lights.
Some stories came pouring out of her, while others took a little while to develop. In my humble opinion, I felt that her style of story-telling was a rather refreshing change to what I usually read.
I admit, on one hand I was curious about Ms Chow’s book and on the other, I was hopeful that it would be good so that I could write a good review and not a scathing one. Thank goodness it is the former.
This is a recommended read for everyone, however, if you know of an architect, aspiring or otherwise, get him/her a copy because I think they will particularly enjoy it.
xandtha's review
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
delight's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Had the privilege of meeting Clara Chow during the Singapore Writers Festival 2017 and even got her to sign my copy of this book. From the short conversation we had, I was heartened to find out that she is someone who is wonderfully open to ideas.
What I love about this book is the idea of the decaying life stuck in the physical building, or the concept of the building. More than just a "Singapore" story/experience, the book goes beyond depicting conflicts we have often seen in Singapore literature, but actually examining the struggle between the physical body and the "essence" or soul of a person. Physical bodies are often discarded, neglected or destroyed in the stories, leaving the physical building to house the soul of the characters.
It's an easy book to read, but not an easy book to understand and digest. Take it however you want, but I live for such books.
What I love about this book is the idea of the decaying life stuck in the physical building, or the concept of the building. More than just a "Singapore" story/experience, the book goes beyond depicting conflicts we have often seen in Singapore literature, but actually examining the struggle between the physical body and the "essence" or soul of a person. Physical bodies are often discarded, neglected or destroyed in the stories, leaving the physical building to house the soul of the characters.
It's an easy book to read, but not an easy book to understand and digest. Take it however you want, but I live for such books.
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