The Piano Teacher, Janice Y.K. Lee (3)
I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I had anticipated. Since I love historical fiction, I was eager to delve into a new setting - pre/post-WWII Hong Kong. In this respect, the book did not disappoint; I learned a lot about the social hierarchy in Hong Kong and the subsequent lives of different nationalities during the war and occupation. The book alternated between two timelines with overlapping characters, so I was anxious to uncover the tie-in and any possible linking mystery. My expectations were rewarded at the end, but only minimally. My main complaint is that the three main characters were so distant, aloof, and closed off from society, that they were closed off from the reader too. If an author fails to garner a certain requisite amount of respect or emotional attachment between her readers and the characters, there is little more than indifference to link them. While I enjoyed the actual mid-course reading of the book, my retrospective rating is only lukewarm.
I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I had anticipated. Since I love historical fiction, I was eager to delve into a new setting - pre/post-WWII Hong Kong. In this respect, the book did not disappoint; I learned a lot about the social hierarchy in Hong Kong and the subsequent lives of different nationalities during the war and occupation. The book alternated between two timelines with overlapping characters, so I was anxious to uncover the tie-in and any possible linking mystery. My expectations were rewarded at the end, but only minimally. My main complaint is that the three main characters were so distant, aloof, and closed off from society, that they were closed off from the reader too. If an author fails to garner a certain requisite amount of respect or emotional attachment between her readers and the characters, there is little more than indifference to link them. While I enjoyed the actual mid-course reading of the book, my retrospective rating is only lukewarm.
I read this book too and felt quite similar. The history of Hong Kong from the viewpoint of those nationalities was interesting, but the main characters - not so much. I think characters don't have to be likable, but agree that they need to be interesting so that you are attached to their outcome.
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