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dianametzger's review
2.0
Interesting to learn about Taiwan but dull writing and such painful misogyny throughout.
toffeeredraider's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
neens_library's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
bookbrig's review
started this on a vacation, and didn't have time to get very far. I may try it again in the future.
circularcubes's review
2.0
To be clear, I wanted to like this book. I came across Ed Lin a long while ago while browsing books by Asian-American authors in the Kinokuniya bookstore in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. I was thrilled to see an author that shared the same last name as me, but it took a few years to actually get around to reading one of his books. I liked how much information Lin put in about the history and politics of Taiwan. It made reading the book feel at times like it was hitting you over the head with "now learn this fact!" but I appreciated it and felt like Taiwan is complex and unfamiliar enough to most Western readers to warrant the explanations.
Now for what I didn't like about the book: most of it. I found Jing-nan to be boring, irritating, and unbelievable in his stubbornness. Who the hell would think it was a good idea to break up with someone with the intention of "coming back" for them down the line? Dude, give your fucking girlfriend a call. Facebook messaging! Texting! Skype! Communication! I never felt like Julia was a real person, she felt more like a prop for Jing-nan to angst over. I liked the character of Nancy better. Ming-kuo and Peggy were a bit like Julia - extremes of a character type pushed beyond believability and into irritability.
I also didn't get the book's obsession with Joy Division. Anyone who obsesses to that level over a band concerns me (although I guess it fits into Jing-nan's character as obsessive and rather lacking in anything resembling a life). I've never heard their music, so it was alienating to have so much of the book fixate on that.
Finally, although the book ends with a little bit of backing down by Jing-nan, I couldn't stand how vehemently he disrespected religion in Taiwan. As an atheist myself, I detest people who lack the decency to show respect for things that don't affect them, like other people's religious beliefs. It's rude and it gives atheism a bad name as a whole.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, I don't think, unless they were exceptionally keen on reading non-fiction about Taiwan. I will say, however, that it is MILES better than the last Taiwanese-centered book I attempted to read, Formosa Straits, and I will still go on to read what else I can find of Ed Lin's works.
Now for what I didn't like about the book: most of it. I found Jing-nan to be boring, irritating, and unbelievable in his stubbornness. Who the hell would think it was a good idea to break up with someone with the intention of "coming back" for them down the line? Dude, give your fucking girlfriend a call. Facebook messaging! Texting! Skype! Communication! I never felt like Julia was a real person, she felt more like a prop for Jing-nan to angst over. I liked the character of Nancy better. Ming-kuo and Peggy were a bit like Julia - extremes of a character type pushed beyond believability and into irritability.
I also didn't get the book's obsession with Joy Division. Anyone who obsesses to that level over a band concerns me (although I guess it fits into Jing-nan's character as obsessive and rather lacking in anything resembling a life). I've never heard their music, so it was alienating to have so much of the book fixate on that.
Finally, although the book ends with a little bit of backing down by Jing-nan, I couldn't stand how vehemently he disrespected religion in Taiwan. As an atheist myself, I detest people who lack the decency to show respect for things that don't affect them, like other people's religious beliefs. It's rude and it gives atheism a bad name as a whole.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, I don't think, unless they were exceptionally keen on reading non-fiction about Taiwan. I will say, however, that it is MILES better than the last Taiwanese-centered book I attempted to read, Formosa Straits, and I will still go on to read what else I can find of Ed Lin's works.
storytimed's review
2.0
Okayish, rather cliched and sexist noir. Redeeming factors: set in Taipei (with specific street addresses, lmao), quirky protagonist, the backstory of the fridged girlfriend is that Plot never quite paid off.
Spoiler
SHE WAS A CIA SPY ALL ALONG. Go, Julia!staticdisplay's review
3.0
the narrator finds himself investigating his girlfriend's death while also realizing that none of his childhood dreams will come true. instead of graduating from a prestigious school in America, the narrator has taken over his deceased parents' food stand in a large night market, where he works to pay off his grandfather's massive gambling debt. the Taiwan setting was great. as noted in many reviews on here, much of the book contains vivid descriptions of the architecture and culture in Taiwan, as well as several passages on the history and politics. some of the history/culture/politics could have been cut out to emphasize the mystery and increase the tension, but I liked reading those parts. I actually read the book pretty quickly, considering the page count.
I'm not giving it a higher rating because I found that most of the characters were unlikable and their interactions felt artificial. I especially didn't care for Nancy, who seemed like a pretty standard manic pixie dream girl. Jing-Nan barges into her life, makes a lot of outrageous demands, treats her like an object, doesn't pay any attention to her schedule - you have schoolwork and a time crunch? ok but I'm going to just keep talking to you and also get you involved in this hours-long scheme to trick some old people -- and she goes along with all of it because she's just absolutely in love with this guy, but... he's kind of written without much of a personality, except that he loves Joy Division, is an atheist, and is described by others as handsome. also he frequently makes thoughtless and hurtful comments. idk! I just wasn't feeling it. the whole explanation behind Julia's death was also kind of a lot. poor Julia. poor Peggy and Ming-Kuo.
I'm not giving it a higher rating because I found that most of the characters were unlikable and their interactions felt artificial. I especially didn't care for Nancy, who seemed like a pretty standard manic pixie dream girl. Jing-Nan barges into her life, makes a lot of outrageous demands, treats her like an object, doesn't pay any attention to her schedule - you have schoolwork and a time crunch? ok but I'm going to just keep talking to you and also get you involved in this hours-long scheme to trick some old people -- and she goes along with all of it because she's just absolutely in love with this guy, but... he's kind of written without much of a personality, except that he loves Joy Division, is an atheist, and is described by others as handsome. also he frequently makes thoughtless and hurtful comments. idk! I just wasn't feeling it. the whole explanation behind Julia's death was also kind of a lot. poor Julia. poor Peggy and Ming-Kuo.
deadnberried's review
3.0
I picked this book up at a library book sale thinking it was going to actually involve ghosts or the supernatural, but it does not. (The sale was crowded, the books not really organized, so I just snatched some things that looked interesting without researching plots)
The edition I picked up was an unedited galley, so I'm not sure how much it changed from the edition I read to the final. I found the story fairly slow moving, bogged down with lengthy asides about Taiwanese culture, especially involving those of native/Chinese/Japanese lineage, which didn't really figure into the mystery at hand: Who murdered Jing-nan's fiance?
The main character's main defining characteristic is that he's been really into Joy Division since discovering them in middle school, and he references this interest a lot, but the music/lyrics/themes from the music or the history of the band also have no bearing on the plot. Basically this author talked about several 'guns on the table', and then left them sitting there. Luckily he doesn't exacerbate this tendency by also making the book lengthy.
It was a meh read, mainly valuable because of what you learn about Taiwan along the way.
The edition I picked up was an unedited galley, so I'm not sure how much it changed from the edition I read to the final. I found the story fairly slow moving, bogged down with lengthy asides about Taiwanese culture, especially involving those of native/Chinese/Japanese lineage, which didn't really figure into the mystery at hand: Who murdered Jing-nan's fiance?
The main character's main defining characteristic is that he's been really into Joy Division since discovering them in middle school, and he references this interest a lot, but the music/lyrics/themes from the music or the history of the band also have no bearing on the plot. Basically this author talked about several 'guns on the table', and then left them sitting there. Luckily he doesn't exacerbate this tendency by also making the book lengthy.
It was a meh read, mainly valuable because of what you learn about Taiwan along the way.
ikai's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
This book sucks ass. It’s a boring slog and the writing is painful.
annieboj's review
2.0
the plot feels like an afterthought and i’m not entirely convinced jing-nan actually had any emotions about julia at all ?? i went into it not knowing anything about taiwan so i appreciated the information about it but most of it didn’t seem to help contextualize the story very much