alan's review
Waiting
by Ha Jin
"hardly any of the characters are likeable..." - ditto that.
alan's review
Waiting by Ha Jin
alan's review
rating:
the main thing which sticks out to me about this book (apart from the culture shock-ness of 70s China, sounding more like the turn of the 20th century until we are given some dates and clues further on in the novel) is that nobody is perfect.
in fact, hardly any of the characters are likeable - not that you find yourself disliking them too much either. Lin, the main character, is very weak willed and lives a dispassionate life - however, he goes through a lot with respect to his different partners and ultimately follows through, which has to be respected. Plus, even though you are irritated with him until the last page, that page redeems him to an extent. Won't spoil it ;)
Manna begins as a voice of passion and reason, but after such a long wait for her love, she has changed irreversibly through the effects of some events and the absence of others. Lin finds himself with someone quite different to the woman he originally met, though glimmers of her still shine through. It is...more
in fact, hardly any of the characters are likeable - not that you find yourself disliking them too much either. Lin, the main character, is very weak willed and lives a dispassionate life - however, he goes through a lot with respect to his different partners and ultimately follows through, which has to be respected. Plus, even though you are irritated with him until the last page, that page redeems him to an extent. Won't spoil it ;)
Manna begins as a voice of passion and reason, but after such a long wait for her love, she has changed irreversibly through the effects of some events and the absence of others. Lin finds himself with someone quite different to the woman he originally met, though glimmers of her still shine through. It is...more
"hardly any of the characters are likeable..." - ditto that.