Book Review: The Magpie Bridge by Liu Hong

The Magpie Bridge - Liu Hong

Synopsis:
Jiao Mei is a young Chinese national, studying in England and living with Barbara, her late father’s female companion.
Despite bouts of homesickness, and a longing for the salty and spicy Sichuan food of her homeland, Jiao Mei is enjoying her time in London, has made friends at the university she attends, and is in a new and promising relationship with an architect named Ken.
However, life as she knows it is about to change when she is one day woken by a young Chinese woman who claims to be her grandmother. Despite her disbelief about the apparition’s declaration, Jiao Mei finds herself conceding that the woman is who she says she is, despite having been dead for several years.
The woman, Tie Mei, not only calls Jiao Mei by her childhood nickname, but she imparts knowledge about their family’s painful and complex past and reveals secrets that not even Jiao Mei is aware of.
Tie Mei also gives her granddaughter a message that is becoming increasingly hard to ignore- Jiao Mei is pregnant with Ken’s child, and she has the family reputation to uphold.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel gives a fascinating insight into Chinese culture, and the way that Jiao Mei assimilates into the English way of life is representative of how so many foreigners have had to adapt to the Western world. Readers are able to see London from the point of view of Jiao Mei, but also through the eyes of her grandmother, who had never encountered ‘foreign devils’ before her death. Tie Mei’s reluctant acceptance of her granddaughter’s choices, and her gradual recognition of a life far different from her own as a young woman are also represented by the author, who is able to tell the story by shifting between the imperial gardens of nineteenth-century Beijing, and the grey bleakness of modern-day England.

Positives:
This novel is filled with old Chinese folklore, all of which contributes to the storyline, and gives the story a unique edge over others that have similar plots. Even the title of the novel, The Magpie Bridge, is taken from one of the folk stories that Jiao Mei recounts to her boyfriend Ken. It’s refreshing to see new literature mixed in with remnants of old stories that have been passed down through time.

Negatives:
Sometimes Jiao Mei’s representations of the characters in the novel seem contradictory, and although this is similar to real life, it can be disconcerting to readers. An example of this can be seen in Barbara’s boyfriend Bill. At times, Jiao Mei seems to despise him for always being around the house and being so sarcastic, yet she also seems to respect him for the way he treats Barbara, and she even appreciates how he sometimes smells of cigarettes. But even though she professes to sometimes like him, in actuality she barely tolerates him and goes out of her way to avoid him. While these actions may not be a problem on their own, Jiao Mei’s indecision about him tends to annoy after a while, and is also a common thread among several of the other characters in the story.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: People who are interested in old Chinese legends and superstitions, mixed with the reality of modern life.



Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Quiet Girl by Peter Høeg

The Quiet Girl - Peter Høeg

Synopsis:
Kasper Krone is a circus clown famous on the international stage, and wanted by Danish authorities for tax evasion. Living in a caravan on a property dedicated to circus training and stables, Kasper is unique in that he also has a special gift regarding sound. He can ‘hear’ the musical keys that make up a person, instantly identifying whether they are a D-minor or A-flat major, and thus determining their personalities and intentions in an instant. He can also hear sounds that most ordinary people can’t pick up, and often compares them to great musical works, including those by his favourite composer Johann Sebastian Bach.
But despite his abilities, Kasper also has a deep gambling debt, and is on the verge of being extradited to Spain for his tax evasion.
It seems that Kasper’s life as he knows it is over, until he is recruited by a mysterious order of nuns, from the Rabia Institute, who want him to use his abilities to help them find two missing and extraordinary children who have been kidnapped. In return for his services, they promise him a reprieve from the international authorities, and thus Kasper decides to help.
But Kasper doesn’t realise the full extent of the children’s mystical abilities, or the true intentions of all involved. His determination to save young KlaraMaria, who he previously created a bond with, as well as the other child, means that he faces adversity from all angles, and rediscovers relationships with people from his past.
Kasper has to use all of his circus training, hearing abilities and wit to discover where the children are, and work out how to get them back to safety.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel brings into question the different ‘gifts’ that some people reputedly have. Kasper’s ability to hear the musicality in people’s everyday lives makes him stand out from regular people and gives the book an artistic and even spiritual edge that wouldn’t ordinarily be present in a book of this genre.

Positives:
The character of Kasper Krone is incredibly complex. Even though he is determined to save the children, he is also using the situation for his own gain, hoping to save himself from deportation. His interest in all of the people involved in the situation varies according to their usefulness to him, and his wit and cunning help him in circumstances when most people would ordinarily give up. These characteristics help to make the book so interesting to readers, as they wonder what he will do next.

Negatives:
I can’t fault the way that the book was written because the language that Høeg uses seems almost poetic at times, flowing like the classical music he loves to talk about so much. The methods that he uses in writing this novel, however, make it difficult to link together different parts of the story and can sometime makes it hard to grasp what is happening.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Mystery

Recommended for: People who enjoy Peter Høeg’s work.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below: