You've finished the book. Now say what you feel. Don't hold back! This is the place to include spoilers and engage in debate.****WARNING: THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS! IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK, GO BACK TO THE HOME PAGE TO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS*******
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Lyrical and beautifully written. To savour rich passages of prose was an utter joy. Sorrow threads itself through the book, but, given the times and the Yung Lin's personal experiences, hardly surprising. I did find it strange that she should fall for Aritomo after her experiences in the hands of the Japanese - this might have been better done as as slow-burn. However, no nit-picking! If I have one criticism it is this: in the early stages of the novel Eng writes like he wants to dump knowledge on Malaya and the times on his reader, flirting with historical non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteThe author uses the phrase mono no aware a few times within the text and that phrase which relates to a certain quality within Asian culture of gentle sadness perfectly sums up this novel.
ReplyDeleteI found it a beautifully written novel though having only just finished it am still gathering my thoughts.