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tui_la_dao's reviews
56 reviews
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This hitorical fiction by the author Nguyen Phan Que Mai is brilliant and touching until the very last page. “The challenges faced by the Vietnamese people throughout history are as tall as the tallest mountains”, but thanks to the author, me and, I believe, other readers could stand “far enough to see the mountain tops”, like Huong, and close enough to live the sufferings and feel the strength from our ancestors.
The book tells me many events that won’t be discussed at all or from many sides in usual history textbooks, which makes it a very important book since it tells our history in a more open, inclusive, and honest way. Only with open discussion can we understand, sympathize with our long, great history, sympathize with all the sacrifices and pains that were traded for reunification and peace today, and recognize our responsibility as a Vietnamese citizen in peaceful time.
The book has helped me learn and memorize the history of my country faster than many years I spent in the school’s history classes. The story of the family Tran from Nghe An province is going to be something I remember for a very long time to come.
I have many more to say about this book. But most importantly, i was not biased prior to picking up this book, I was actually very doubtful and didn’t want to immediately like a book just because it is about Vietnam, but I fell in love with it more and more as the stories go on. And completely as the stories came to an end.
A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
This is one of the books that would be even more interesting to read the second time around. Because of the writing styles and the fact that the author chose to be rather detached in her descriptions, the book’s tone seems to be quiet. However, it gets very good later on, especially when the author gets into details of her father habits, thoughts, way of living, etc., in relation to his social class. The observation and writing skills of the author is admirable. All the details she chose to put into the book successfully put in front of the reader’s eye a man so vivid, despite them not knowing about him prior to picking the book up.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
A very interesting story, the character seems empty while very secure at the same time. Very engaging character descriptions.
Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
3.5
The writing is very original. Normally I would not feel in awe with a sentence that I reread right there, but Annie’s writing feels new. I understand why some critics say they walk in Annie’s world for long time after finishing her books. The story wraps up a bit melancholically to blandly (though it’s the most logical ending to this story) for me. But brilliant writing.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book has one of the best starting line, it sounds lyrical, but also it captures perfectly the attitudes of all the characters throughout the book.
War is painful all the same, but not every story is identical and hence should not be known of. How a nation and countrymen deal with the pain and the shame is a topic that is very inspiring to know about. This book tells the stories of generations of Koreans who stuck in Japan, their ex-colonizer, which means in many ways (older gen.) or all the way (younger gen.) they belong to nowhere. As the book encompasses 4 generations in less than 500 pages, characters that seem to be important and had raised curiosity from readers would unfortunately be muted in the latter part of the book, as a whole the development pace of characters is too fast, but as a historical fiction it offers a good and "wide" glimpse into the topic
War is painful all the same, but not every story is identical and hence should not be known of. How a nation and countrymen deal with the pain and the shame is a topic that is very inspiring to know about. This book tells the stories of generations of Koreans who stuck in Japan, their ex-colonizer, which means in many ways (older gen.) or all the way (younger gen.) they belong to nowhere. As the book encompasses 4 generations in less than 500 pages, characters that seem to be important and had raised curiosity from readers would unfortunately be muted in the latter part of the book, as a whole the development pace of characters is too fast, but as a historical fiction it offers a good and "wide" glimpse into the topic
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
A fascinating novel that keeps unfolding until the very end. The book deals with many dark and real topics that lead to the decisions or fate of its characters. The first chapter deals mostly with a very unlikeable and stereotypical character, but the story flowed terrifically afterwards.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It is such a humane novel! The pacing was great, and there were no parts in the book that seemed flat to me. No characters felt unnecessary in this book, and it was real fun to look up/interpret what the characters represented and what lessons or stories could we get from them. A relevant book plus being easy to follow, I understand why To Kill A Mocking Bird tops many must-read classic list.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
lighthearted
fast-paced
1.0
I am not the biggest fan of how the poet cuts her sentence. In general the book is nice to read, nothing groundbreaking for me, but I can see how this book benefits my younger self. Sometimes the book feels too sexual. Here and there are brilliant parts, and I mostly enjoy the paragraphs within the book.