Scan barcode
the_sunken_library's review against another edition
3.0
DNF AT 60% therefor I feel I can reasonably review it (expecially considering it's a collection of short stories as opposed to a single narrative).
K-Ming Chang's writing is unusual, intricate and evocative. Unfortunately, it's far too surreal for my tastes, to the point that I often felt that the narrative was incoherent. These are stories exploring sexualiry, gender and being an immigrant, but I felt I missed out on the substance of Chang's pondering's on these subjects because of how unreal the writing style was.
This is a purely personal preference and I would be keen to try another of Chang's books to see how I'd get on with something different. Some of the imagery they utilised was so compelling - I.e. an aunty going to the dentist to have their tongue removed - it was truly mesmerising, but the bizarre descriptions would continue on and on with seemingly no resolution, and then the story would end and I'd have no idea what the hell happened.
K-Ming Chang's writing is unusual, intricate and evocative. Unfortunately, it's far too surreal for my tastes, to the point that I often felt that the narrative was incoherent. These are stories exploring sexualiry, gender and being an immigrant, but I felt I missed out on the substance of Chang's pondering's on these subjects because of how unreal the writing style was.
This is a purely personal preference and I would be keen to try another of Chang's books to see how I'd get on with something different. Some of the imagery they utilised was so compelling - I.e. an aunty going to the dentist to have their tongue removed - it was truly mesmerising, but the bizarre descriptions would continue on and on with seemingly no resolution, and then the story would end and I'd have no idea what the hell happened.
brgntteva's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
kaczorlantz's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
allthismakescherries's review against another edition
The book was simply not my thing. Though the writing was very inventive and smart, I found it to be too repetitive in its style and the stories also seemed too similar to me.
ezrasupremacy's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up, to no one’s fault but mine really
nicole_schmid's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I found this book highly disturbing and thought-provoking. It was well-written, but in a very surreal style that I personally did not enjoy very much. Some imagery was very brutal; there was a lot of animal death. It also felt like the stories would make more sense for a person who is smarter than me and someone who knows more about Taiwanese history and myths. I read the stories thinking most of it went over my head.
elorathesun's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kellyfables's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
natastop's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25