The Garden of Evening Mists

by Tan Twan Eng | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 9781782110187 Global Overview for this book
Registered by bookfrogster of Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on 8/2/2020
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3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by bookfrogster from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Sunday, August 2, 2020
Picked this up second hand. It's a novel set in Malaysia after WWII and is about the relationship between a Malaysian woman and a Japanese gardener.

Journal Entry 2 by bookfrogster at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, August 8, 2020
I really enjoyed this novel. The author wrote about the characters as real people, each having flaws and strengths. I absolutely loved the passages describing the mysteries of the garden.

Journal Entry 3 by bookfrogster at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, September 5, 2020

Released 3 yrs ago (9/3/2020 UTC) at Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom

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And off it goes to the winner of the mail a garden sweeps. Happy reading!

Journal Entry 4 by wingDelphi_Readerwing at Delphi - Δελφοί , Fokida Greece on Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Thank you bookfrogster for a beautiful postcard featuring a book cover illustration of a 1958 edition of The Secret Garden and of course for this interesting book.

Actualy I've read The Garden of Evening Mists on May 2019 and enjoyed it too. I am one of those persons who often re-read books, so this is a pleasant surpsise to receive! I might delve into this once more before releasing it again : )

Meanwhile, here are my comments from last time I read it:

"Wow! What a book! Like most novels dealing with WW2 and its consequences on countries, nations and especially on individuals and on human relationships, this was a very touching and emotional book. It was very interesting due to the specific setting and due to the unusual interests, attitudes and bonds of the main characters too.

Like most historical fiction though, this book didn't avoid some hyperbole both on the characters and on the plot. Many weird coincidences and odd love relationships and behaviors and decisions and the like... I found many elements of the story and of the people's actions hard to swallow while occasionally these didn't make any sense to me.
An other issue I had with this book was that after a strong start, the pace droped considerably in the middle. While the prose and descriptions etc were still beautiful and poetic, at some point the book got so slow-going that I was on the verge to start skipping pages, something I never do... I persisted though and I was rewarded, because the rythme picks up again towards the end, actually the plot accelerates again and while not completely believable, it takes some unexpected twists and turns. The author added many strong and moving scenes and at times I had to remind myself this is a too lyrical male author, not a female one...

As the novel refers to some very different cutlures and life styles than my own, I found many elements of the book poetic and interesting, but sometimes frustrating or incomprehensible too. Malaya/Malaysia culture and attitude towards life, Rice paper lanterns, Japanese gardening, Japanese horimono tattooes, ukiyo-e have their charm and take a significant role in the story, but how long can one read about them? Well, actually for long, but it got too much occasionally...

To make a long story short, I somehow feel this isn't a book I'll rush to read again very soon, but still I am very glad I read it and I think people should seek out to read it too. This story will stay with me for a while... Very valuable novel despite its flaws... "

Journal Entry 5 by wingDelphi_Readerwing at to an OBCZ, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, December 3, 2020

Released 3 yrs ago (12/4/2020 UTC) at to an OBCZ, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases

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The book got itchy feet and is now travelling to OBCZ Columbus in Helsinki, Finland.
And then... Who knows?

Good Luck little book and Don't forget to write your news from time to time!

Journal Entry 6 by winghippoleinwing at Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Arrived safely with lots of others in Helsinki today. Thanks for sending them all the way here. This book will be read first, before it continues its travels...

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