2017 Reading Challenge discussion
Odds & Ends (2017)
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A book with magic
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Anne
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Jan 02, 2017 05:47PM

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I didn't love this book, but I do want to read it again. Since it's a book with more than one level of meaning, it needs more than one reading. The first layer is the story of a mother and her four daughters, three extraordinarily beautiful and one less so, who are beset by exploitative men, animals, spirits, and general malaise. That's the one I read and appreciated. Enjoyment is the wrong word for this accomplished work of magical realism, as there is practically a rape a minute and murders abound.
The second layer is one that requires more knowledge of Indonesian history than I now have. The period of Dutch rule is the seed of much of the misfortune that befalls this family, although the Japanese and revolutionary thugs play their part. A better grounding in these parts of the past would make a second reading more meaningful.

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Authors mentioned in this topic
Neil Gaiman (other topics)Eka Kurniawan (other topics)