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anushka_adishka_diaries's review
5.0
“I hug the rice straw to sleep. Because I keep my homeland in my heart, my harvest is rich, all year round.”
ashleykta's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
karenreader's review
fast-paced
5.0
Very readable, relatable poetry collection translated from Vietnamese.
frizzbee's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition
4.0
“I wait for the sun to swallow my thoughts whole, for the moon to light on my palm.“
spacestationtrustfund's review
3.0
Finally someone understands the importance of bilingual translations.
lauren_endnotes's review
5.0
Two Truths
At Ha Noi's Metropole Hotel,
two men eat salmon imported from Norway,
fresh oysters and beef from Australia, water from France, sausages from Germany;
the plate-glass windows reflect them,
and the waitresses are dressed in ancient clothing, their hands folded in respect.
On the other side of the glass,
a man fixes bicycle tires for a living;
his hope throbs in the heat of summer's midday.
A woman carries plain noodles on her pole
which she sells with tofu and shrimp paste.
They were all farmers once,
and now belong to two different truths,
with nothing between them except the thick plate glass, and a steam of people crawling forward, in a hurry.
The Secret of Hoa Sen is dual language with Vietnamese and English translations.
Nguyen Phan Que Mai's first novel was published this year (March 2020) - The Mountains Sing. I have seen several of your #bookstacks with this new book, and I hope people will also look to this earlier publication to learn more about her work.
These poems raise awareness of various historical events, as well as observations on war, modern life, globalization, labour, and inequality. One specific poem "The Garment Workers of Bangladesh" draws a specific focus on the high costs of "fast fashion" and disposable commodities, and the sweat shop conditions that lead to the deaths of hundreds in a 2013 garment factory collapse in Dhaka.
Many more to contemplate and learn from here. A truly moving and "conscious" collection of poetry.
At Ha Noi's Metropole Hotel,
two men eat salmon imported from Norway,
fresh oysters and beef from Australia, water from France, sausages from Germany;
the plate-glass windows reflect them,
and the waitresses are dressed in ancient clothing, their hands folded in respect.
On the other side of the glass,
a man fixes bicycle tires for a living;
his hope throbs in the heat of summer's midday.
A woman carries plain noodles on her pole
which she sells with tofu and shrimp paste.
They were all farmers once,
and now belong to two different truths,
with nothing between them except the thick plate glass, and a steam of people crawling forward, in a hurry.
The Secret of Hoa Sen is dual language with Vietnamese and English translations.
Nguyen Phan Que Mai's first novel was published this year (March 2020) - The Mountains Sing. I have seen several of your #bookstacks with this new book, and I hope people will also look to this earlier publication to learn more about her work.
These poems raise awareness of various historical events, as well as observations on war, modern life, globalization, labour, and inequality. One specific poem "The Garment Workers of Bangladesh" draws a specific focus on the high costs of "fast fashion" and disposable commodities, and the sweat shop conditions that lead to the deaths of hundreds in a 2013 garment factory collapse in Dhaka.
Many more to contemplate and learn from here. A truly moving and "conscious" collection of poetry.
jeninmotion's review
5.0
These were incredibly beautiful, intense poems. Many of them are these beautiful expressions of intense grief and others just bring an image to life, like this: "The women carry the seasons of guava, mango, and plum to me." The perfection of that, and in a poem in translation, is remarkable.
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