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egcoast2coast's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
logantmartin's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
You know that thing where you wonder if the color you call blue is the same as the color another person calls blue? I'm starting to feel that way about the term "social commentary."
The Day the Sun Died is about one night when everyone in a small village (though evidently one large enough for 500 people to die in one night without decimating the population) starts sleepwalking and robbing each other. If there's anything to take away from this novel, it's that everyone has a deep-seated, hidden desire to steal from the grocery store. Throughout the story, you'll occasionally see a glimmer of something profound, like when the mayor starts acting like a king; but if there is anything thoughtful in these moments, it's in the sense that I'm left wondering whether I'm supposed to get something out of them other than a small bump of intellectual stimulation that makes the overall sense of ennui all the more powerful.
By far my biggest gripe with this book is the fact that the author has literally inserted himself into the story. There is an actual character called Yan Lianke. It's possible there's a way to competently pull this off, but Yan the author certainly doesn't know how. All through the story Yan the character is trying to hide in the background, to become a nonexistence, but he has this spotlight on him by virtue of his mere presence in the novel. The author wants to ignore him, the reader wants to ignore him, and yet we can't because we're trying to understand what he's doing there. Yan the author doesn't seem quite sure, as if the thought popped into his head and he couldn't get rid of it and birthed this unpleasant experiment in uselessness and undesirability. It's imminently philosophical in all the wrong ways.
The Day the Sun Died is about one night when everyone in a small village (though evidently one large enough for 500 people to die in one night without decimating the population) starts sleepwalking and robbing each other. If there's anything to take away from this novel, it's that everyone has a deep-seated, hidden desire to steal from the grocery store. Throughout the story, you'll occasionally see a glimmer of something profound, like when the mayor starts acting like a king; but if there is anything thoughtful in these moments, it's in the sense that I'm left wondering whether I'm supposed to get something out of them other than a small bump of intellectual stimulation that makes the overall sense of ennui all the more powerful.
By far my biggest gripe with this book is the fact that the author has literally inserted himself into the story. There is an actual character called Yan Lianke. It's possible there's a way to competently pull this off, but Yan the author certainly doesn't know how. All through the story Yan the character is trying to hide in the background, to become a nonexistence, but he has this spotlight on him by virtue of his mere presence in the novel. The author wants to ignore him, the reader wants to ignore him, and yet we can't because we're trying to understand what he's doing there. Yan the author doesn't seem quite sure, as if the thought popped into his head and he couldn't get rid of it and birthed this unpleasant experiment in uselessness and undesirability. It's imminently philosophical in all the wrong ways.
aishies's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
emp2707's review against another edition
3.0
Fascinating concept, haunting even, but I found it a little tedious?
I kept second guessing myself because the author repeats so many of the sentences and I think that I’m accidentally rereading the same line but I’m not. I don’t really get what it adds to the story? Maybe it’s because this poor boy is tired of having to recount this whole night so in-depth. Idk.
That said I always find judging a translation really hard because most of what I disliked about the book was the language used but who knows had I been able to read it in mandarin then maybe I would have enjoyed it more (note to self learn more languages). The concept for the story was very interesting but as said it really was the language for me.
I kept second guessing myself because the author repeats so many of the sentences and I think that I’m accidentally rereading the same line but I’m not. I don’t really get what it adds to the story? Maybe it’s because this poor boy is tired of having to recount this whole night so in-depth. Idk.
That said I always find judging a translation really hard because most of what I disliked about the book was the language used but who knows had I been able to read it in mandarin then maybe I would have enjoyed it more (note to self learn more languages). The concept for the story was very interesting but as said it really was the language for me.
treeme's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of the best books I’ve read in a while, after a couple of duds it reminds me why I love reading— revisiting my review to say I can’t stop thinking about it.
windupsheep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
paulasoto's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
cinnamonandpancakes's review against another edition
had to return it to the library and wasn't hooked enough to power through it in time.
soosoyi's review against another edition
3.0
"His inspiration has completely dried up, and his soul is exhausted. He also claims that it is as a result of his writing that he has become annoyed with this world."
"...and his face was as impassive as if it were a brick that had been removed from an old wall."
"Our family made a decent living profiting off dead people."
"If they really didn't want people to know, they shouldn't have done it."
"Most of this coldness was produced from people's hearts."
"My mind was completely blank, like a bald mountain in the middle of winter."
"You are such a small person, I never imagined you were capable of accomplishing such an extraordinary deed."
"Uncle Yan, do you think it is better for people to spend their lives listening to stories, or to focus on telling stories to others."
"The world had disappeared, and all that remained was the sound of those black ice pellets falling and smashing to the ground."
"...and his face was as impassive as if it were a brick that had been removed from an old wall."
"Our family made a decent living profiting off dead people."
"If they really didn't want people to know, they shouldn't have done it."
"Most of this coldness was produced from people's hearts."
"My mind was completely blank, like a bald mountain in the middle of winter."
"You are such a small person, I never imagined you were capable of accomplishing such an extraordinary deed."
"Uncle Yan, do you think it is better for people to spend their lives listening to stories, or to focus on telling stories to others."
"The world had disappeared, and all that remained was the sound of those black ice pellets falling and smashing to the ground."