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bringmybooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is a tough one to review - I learned a lot and I really liked certain passages and characters, but overall I'm not entirely sure I'm glad I read it?
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
To me this read like historical fiction though a literary fiction lens, and that might be some of my problem (I tend to like strong character driven literary fiction less than that mixed with a plot). Following the descendants of Chen Pan through their lives following his arrival in Cuba as a slavehand in the 1800s was absolutely informative, as there was a lot that I did not know about many aspects of what Cristina Garcia shared in the novel.
I heavily preferred Chen Pan's storyline over all the others - I loved when we would go back to his life, and that of his life with Lucrecia. The other storylines did not grab me as much and felt a bit more forced.
There were also a lot of details that, while they painted a very strong picture, felt unnecessarily graphic (i.e. the different violent ways a prostitute in Vietnam was violated by the men she had interacted with). I know these things have happened, but I (personally) didn't like the graphic nature of the way they were described.
If you're looking for a historical fiction book about times that are not often covered, this one could be a good choice for you - especially if you're looking for strong characterization with less of a driving plot.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
To me this read like historical fiction though a literary fiction lens, and that might be some of my problem (I tend to like strong character driven literary fiction less than that mixed with a plot). Following the descendants of Chen Pan through their lives following his arrival in Cuba as a slavehand in the 1800s was absolutely informative, as there was a lot that I did not know about many aspects of what Cristina Garcia shared in the novel.
I heavily preferred Chen Pan's storyline over all the others - I loved when we would go back to his life, and that of his life with Lucrecia. The other storylines did not grab me as much and felt a bit more forced.
There were also a lot of details that, while they painted a very strong picture, felt unnecessarily graphic (i.e. the different violent ways a prostitute in Vietnam was violated by the men she had interacted with). I know these things have happened, but I (personally) didn't like the graphic nature of the way they were described.
If you're looking for a historical fiction book about times that are not often covered, this one could be a good choice for you - especially if you're looking for strong characterization with less of a driving plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual violence
Moderate: Torture, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Rape, War, Suicide, Sexual assault, Genocide, Domestic abuse, Cultural appropriation, Xenophobia, Child death, Slavery, Sexism, Racism, Grief, Drug use, Confinement, and Colonisation
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