Review: I'd Die for You and Other Lost Stories

I'd Die for You and Other Lost Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enthralling to read a collection of stories that have been hidden for so long.

Having said that, as standalone stories, these seem to be hit or miss. I do wish each introduction came after the story rather than before, so we could read each one as the author intended, and then possibly check the notes (which is what I ended up doing).

My favorite was definitely "Nightmare".


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: The Immortalists

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Like other reviewers, I must say I thought the idea and premise to be superb, but the story itself didn't really hold me in its entirety. Still, it's quite original and I'm glad I read it.



https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: The Glass Woman

The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Partway through the book I was afraid I was reading an Icelandic rendition of Jane Eyre, but luckily this wasn't the case.

Having said that, I can't say I found this book all that satisfying. I wanted more of a feel of life in Iceland in the 1600s, but I guess this wasn't that type of book.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: Death on Gokumon Island

Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another excellent Kindaichi mystery. I may have enjoyed this more than the other ones, despite it being a bit far-fetched.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: I Will Find You

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good. Fast-paced. A bit far-fetched I guess, but up to the usual Harlan Coben standard.



https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: Mon

Mon by Natsume Sōseki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I know in a way it is comparing apples to oranges, but I prefer Kawabata to Soseki. I mean, every time I read Soseki, it makes me want to read Kawabata.

Having said that, I actually really enjoyed the premise. The introduction started off basically giving a warning that Soseki is known for not having much occur in his novels, but I think that's precisely what I liked about this. It felt like I was viewing peoples' real lives.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: The Taipei Chinese PEN—A Quarterly Journal of Contemporary Chinese Literature from Taiwan《中華民國筆會英文季刊

The Taipei Chinese PEN—A Quarterly Journal of Contemporary Chinese Literature from Taiwan《中華民國筆會英文季刊 by Various
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great collection of poetry and short stories, this time focusing on indigenous writers. My favorite was "Names of Our Fathers", by Walis Nokan.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: Kamusari Tales Told at Night

Kamusari Tales Told at Night by Shion Miura
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I confess that, while I enjoyed the first one of these as a feel-good book, I found this a bit bland. It seemed more rom-com than anything else. Although the setting is still spectacular.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: By the Sea

By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was a breath of fresh air in how original it was. Granted, it is my first book from Zanzibar, or anywhere in Tanzania. Still, it is studied in its nuance in bringing out the characters, and the place they are from, with all its different types of people, both visitors and locals.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: The Heike Story: A Modern Translation of the Classic Tale of Love and War

The Heike Story: A Modern Translation of the Classic Tale of Love and War by Eiji Yoshikawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is reminiscent of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in that it is an epic about war and clans throughout the ages. In fact, it also reminded me of Samuel Hawley's book about the Imjin War because of the colorful characters and relations intertwining.

However, having said that I have to lower the rating because there is no mention of who the translator is. The name of Fuki Wooyenaka Uramatsu (thankfully mentioned here on Goodreads) is mentioned in the book, although her role isn't specified, even though the illustrator and writer of the introduction are.

It also cuts off rather abruptly at the end, and it seems like they decided to shorten the book overall, which is a shame.



https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: How to Read and Why

How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As soon as I started this book I thought it would be a pompous look into old-fashioned "elite" Western literature. And it many ways it is. But this doesn't make it any less fascinating. It's great to take a journey through some excellent writing, passing rather quickly from one to the next, along with some background for each.

I'm not sure I'd call this "How to read and why". Maybe "What the author enjoys and why" would be more apt. There is plenty of literature he doesn't touch upon. He seems fine with works in translation (like Dante, Borges and Cervantes), but doesn't venture into Asia, Africa, or the Middle East.

Still, an interesting read.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: Counterattacks at Thirty

Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn Won-Pyung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fun book, very different from the author's other novel "Almond". This follows an insecure thirty year old who somewhat lashes out in protests (the counterattacks). In this, the novel critiques the ongoing protests carried out in Seoul. This was written in 2017, during the protests against Park Geun-hye, but are just as relevant now with the recent protests against Yoon Suk Yeol. A satisfying ending and quite enjoyable.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews

Review: The Cabinet

The Cabinet by Kim Un-Su
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This seems to be a collection of almost unrelated oddities, all from so-called Cabinet 13. Slowly, however, we are draw into an overarching story of a crime syndicate, and a question as to if these oddities are just random or not.

A fun, original read. At root is a condemnation of modern times.


https://4201mass.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews