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What Members Thought
I think this book needs to be read slowly and savoured. It is very slow to start off with and somewhat confusing (it really would have benefited from a character list/family tree!) but perseverance pays off and overall I found it a rewarding and moving read. The scope is epic - Chinese history from the Great Leap Forward through to the Tiananmen Square massacres- told through the story of two interlinked families. There are many fascinating insights and gems along the way, particularly in relati
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I'm finished. I really enjoyed this read. The characters were real, damaged and good at heart. They lived in horrible times that caught them in a lifestyle mess where they had no control on any aspect of their lives.
I think this novel did a good job in showing the hardships and uncertainties of living in such a regime and of drawing the reader in, making them care for these characters, to show the fear and uncertainty that citizens faced every day.
A powerful story of a horrible time, showing hu ...more
I think this novel did a good job in showing the hardships and uncertainties of living in such a regime and of drawing the reader in, making them care for these characters, to show the fear and uncertainty that citizens faced every day.
A powerful story of a horrible time, showing hu ...more
At times, I found this novel poignant, at times, wistful, at times insightful and at times it dragged. This is the story of 3 generations of a family of gifted and passionate musicians living in mid-century China. Because of their appreciative love of classical Western music, they live under constant suspicion, weathering the storms of the Revolution with the heart of artists. This novel carries the saga through to the Tiananmen Square protests with its radical shift in the social outlook. Woven
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This book takes us inside an extended family in China, showing us the lives of two successive generations—those who lived through Mao’s Cultural Revolution and their children, who became the students protesting in Tiananmen Square.
At the center of this story are two young women, Marie and Ai-Ming. Marie strives to piece together the tale of her broken family, where she learns how how Kai, her father, a talented pianist, and Ai-Ming’s father, the shy and brilliant composer, Sparrow, along with th ...more
At the center of this story are two young women, Marie and Ai-Ming. Marie strives to piece together the tale of her broken family, where she learns how how Kai, her father, a talented pianist, and Ai-Ming’s father, the shy and brilliant composer, Sparrow, along with th ...more
There were some things I liked about this book, but overall it was way too slow moving. And it spent too much time on classical music stuff that does not interest me.
Nov 15, 2016
Gill
marked it as unfinished
I read 10% of this, and have decided that it's not for me. I think a nonfiction account of the period and issues covered would suit me better.
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Jun 18, 2018
Heather(Gibby)
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
Shelves:
giller-prize
Mar 18, 2017
Camelia Rose
marked it as to-read
Jun 03, 2017
Janice (JG)
marked it as to-read
Jan 02, 2018
Meghan
marked it as to-read
Sep 27, 2021
Amber
marked it as to-read
