When 20-year-old artist Stephen is sent from Hong Kong to his father's family home in Tarumi, Japan, to recover from tuberculosis, he finds a lot more than he expected. The Japanese have just invaded China, and the radio is telling people that the Chinese are evil ... so in town he is viewed with su...
There’s a lot going on in this novel. A young man is sick with tuberculosis, sent to a remote seaside village to recover (or die, though no one mentions that possibility). He’s a would-be artist, experimenting with expression in painting. The life of the family he left behind turns out to be less se...
A Hundred Flowers: A Novel - Gail Tsukiyama I am a huge fan of Gail Tsukiyama's previous works, so I was very excited to see something new from her. Unfortunately, this one didn't quite live up to my expectations. The story is told from five different viewpoints. While this can be a useful tool, ...
Audiobook is narrated by Simon Vance. I bet if I read it it would get three stars. I gave The Samurai's Garden three stars. How many would I give "A Hundred Flowers" if I listened to it with Simon Vance? I might test this!
The opening pages of this book are enough to hold you in its powerful grip since the atmosphere of Mao's china emanates from them, making it impossible for you not to turn to the next page and read on. The novel takes place during the time of Mao Zedung. The Lee family has lived through the brutal r...
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.In 1957 Chairman Mao issued an order for all the intellectuals and artists in the community to come forward so that China could become a stronger country. "Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend." While this was seen...
I tried to like this one, I really did, and as I felt some connection for the main character what with his being an artist and ill with tuberculosis, I thought it might be readable. Instead, in this short novel, there are cliches, more telling than showing and little to keep the reader motivated. Fe...
NO SPOILERSThis book is beautiful. The primary theme is about beauty. (And then there is a love story too.) I think beauty is very important in the Japanese culture. What really is beauty? The tempo is lulling, quiet, and calming. This too creates a kind of beauty. The concept of beauty is drawn th...
At first I wasn't sure I'd like this because of the sumo wrestling stuff. Grunting, glaring fat men sporting diapers and topknots just don't send me anywhere I care to go. Fortunately, there's much more to the book than just sumo, and I ended up liking it quite a bit. I learned a lot about Japane...
Beautiful story of China and the silk factories, primarily set during the 1920s and 1930s. A story of friendship between women, the strength of such bonds, etc. Done with Tsukiyama's incredible mastery of language and subtlety.
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