I think it is safe to say that we can see the connection between Su Yin and the koi from the idiom. While set in modern times, Su Yin here is also preparing for exams that are like the historical imperial exams. In Chinese, 鯉魚躍龍門 (lǐ-yú-yuè-lóng-mén), which directly translates to “koi jumps over the dragon gate,” is an idiom for acing imperial exams and getting job promotions. Okay, I admit this is not one of my faves, but it’s about Su Yin, a girl studying for entrance exams, and her three wishes granted by a magical koi. If you’re here for a review, I’m sorry to say this “review” would probably be more of an analysis. I don’t know how to review this book because there are 19 stories in it, but I’m going to talk about a few of my favorites and their hidden meanings. So I had to listen to the audiobook.Īnd yes, this short story collection is magnificent. THE Emily Woo Zeller who narrated Last Night at the Telegraph Club ( my review). Just when I was going to preorder it, I found out that the audiobook is narrated by Emily Woo Zeller. I think that Cho’s gift truly lies in opening her readers’ heart with her little fables, and while there are a few weaker stories in this book, none of them are bad, and they are all thought-provoking.Ī very charming collection, recommended to fans of Asian mythology and soft sci-fi.īecause Laura loved the previous version of this book ( her review), I couldn’t wait for this rerelease of Spirits Abroad. Vampires, gods, dragons, ghosts, automata, aliens, sentient plants : I learned a lot about mythology reading this book, but I also got a wonderful glimpse of the inner lives of such creatures, their loves, motivations, desires and fears. Those are all very contemporary topics, but I love that Cho chose to explore them through the lens of folklores and legends from South East Asia – with a few Celtic faeries sprinkled on top for good measure! She also effortlessly draws up characters who are beautifully diverse – it never feels like box-checking, it just is. This collection of short stories and novellas touch on similar themes as the ones explored with “Black Water Sister”: immigration, cultural clash, transformation, self-discovery, family (what it actually means and how generations can’t understand each other), and sexual awakening. I had seen her name on my Goodreads feed for a while, and I took the plunge earlier this year with “Black Water Sister” and now I am hooked! Zen Cho is quickly becoming an important author on my speculative-fiction radar, with her lovely whimsical style and her stories that are much deeper than they appear at first sight.
0 kommentar(er)
