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S'està carregant… The Library of Legends: A Novel (2020 original; edició 2020)de Janie Chang (Autor)
Informació de l'obraThe Library of Legends de Janie Chang (2020)
S'està carregant…
Apunta't a LibraryThing per saber si aquest llibre et pot agradar. No hi ha cap discussió a Converses sobre aquesta obra. Daughter and niece Janie Chang authors a beautifully written historical fiction novel based on her father and uncle's walk of more than a thousand miles to safety with their university in 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Never having any formal education studies about any aspect of the history of China and particularly only hearing the negativity of all things China in the last several years I was mesmerized by the story. Historical fiction well-researched is always fascinating to read but to know that the author has a deep and meaningful personal connection to the legacy of this intellectual and cultural achievement by university professors, staff, and students was powerful, riveting, and evoked many emotions. I rarely think of possibly reading any novel again as there are simply so many books that I'd like to read but I would like to read this book again. There is so much information to absorb of the history shared and the storytelling endears the characters who are representing the courage, the stamina, and the strength of each person who helped to protect a vital part of China's heritage for the generations to come following a time of war. This book was gifted to me by a reader friend and I am deeply grateful for the gift of this reading experience. I recognized the cover from a night of browsing several months earlier but as I added the novel to GoodReads realized I had never added it to my tbr list. Without the gift I might never have read this book and I can't imagine missing it. I liked very much the premise of this novel, based on real events, about a group of students and professors fleeing the invasion of Nanking in 1937. I didn't care all that much for the mythological elements in the story, and I found the historical aspects more interesting. The book gave a good idea of the hardships that students and scholars faced at that time. I didn’t love this as much as Three Souls, but I did enjoy it. Some of the writing was choppy, not a complete sentence. And the storylines were not as compelling as Three Souls. But I did love the supernatural woven into the story. The gods and goddesses that lived among the mortals, and the few mortals who could see them. Sparrow’s choice to be with Shao as a servant, hoping he would love her in one of his reincarnations. The ending was good, actually. Sparrow realizes that a person can achieve immortality through purpose in their life, and so she can wait for Shao to do this - meaning she can let go for now and join the other immortals going to the Kunlun mountains. She also leaves Lian free to love Shao, and knows that his love for Lian will give him the purpose that he needs. Sense ressenyes | afegeix-hi una ressenya
From the author of Three Souls and Dragon Springs Road comes a captivating historical novel - the third in a loosely connected trilogy - in which a young woman travels across China with a convoy of student refugees, fleeing the hostilities of a brutal war with Japan. "Myths are the darkest and brightest incarnations of who we are...." China, 1937: When Japanese bombs begin falling on the city of Nanking, 19-year-old Hu Lian and her classmates at Minghua University are ordered to flee. Lian and a convoy of more than 100 students, faculty, and staff must walk 1,000 miles to the safety of China's western provinces, a journey marred by hunger, cold, and the constant threat of aerial attack. And it is not just the student refugees who are at risk: Lian and her classmates have been entrusted with a priceless treasure, a 500-year-old collection of myths and folklore known as the Library of Legends. Her family's past has made Lian wary of forming attachments, but the students' common duty to safeguard the Library of Legends forms unexpected bonds. Lian finds friendship and a cautious romance with the handsome and wealthy Liu Shaoming. But after one classmate is murdered and another arrested, Lian realizes she must escape from the convoy before a family secret puts her in danger. Accompanied by Shao and the enigmatic maidservant Sparrow, Lian makes her way to Shanghai, hoping to reunite with her mother. On the journey, Lian learns of the connection between her two companions and a tale from the Library of Legends, "The Willow Star and the Prince". Learning Shao and Sparrow's true identities compels Lian to confront her feelings for Shao. But there are broader consequences, too, for as the ancient books travel across China, they awaken immortals and guardian spirits to embark on an exodus of their own, one that changes the country's fate forever. Based on true events, rich in Chinese history and lore, The Library of Legends is both an illuminating exploration of China's recent past and an evocative tale of love, sacrifice, and the extraordinary power of storytelling. No s'han trobat descripcions de biblioteca. |
Autor amb llibres seus als Crítics Matiners de LibraryThingEl llibre de Janie Chang Library of Legends, The estava disponible a LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Debats actualsCapCobertes populars
Google Books — S'està carregant… GèneresClassificació Decimal de Dewey (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLCC (Clas. Bibl. Congrés EUA)ValoracióMitjana:
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Overall, it was a bit tedious to read. I liked the idea, but it seemed like a lot of telling and not a lot of showing and it was sometimes hard to figure out what the actual plot was. Some of the stories were quite poignant from the friends/classmates/acquaintances who disappear as a consequence of war, the little girl who marches off to war with her father (this is unfortunately based on a true story according to the author), etc. However, most of this is not enough to really carry the tale.
Like others, I really wished there had been more mythology and folklore, although the this book can probably more in line with magical realism rather than "hard" fantasy. It is a pity, because overall there was a good story here, but this one did not work for me.
This ended up as a disappointment for me, especially as I had really enjoyed 'Dragon' by the author. It was interesting to read about something I know very little about, though, and this might work better for other readers.
I bought this at full price and while that was best for me (it's been years between my purchase and actually reading it, haha), I would have probably preferred this as a bargain buy or library borrow. Might be a good read for a vacation and/or long plane ride, etc. And as mentioned, this book does deal with some harrowing topics that come with war, but the characters tend to be away from the action/more gruesome aspects of it. ( )