In The Night Tiger, houseboy Ren must fulfill a promise he made to his dying master, which sets him off on a journey of discovery, magic, and danger. Along the way, he crosses paths with Ji Lin, an apprentice dressmaker who's forced to be a part time dance-hall girl to pay off her mother's debt. She knows she could be so much more, but money and circumstances dictate that she keep her dreams diminished.
There is so much that I enjoyed in this story. The overall tale with its mix of real and magic is interesting and unique. I've never read another story quite like this, and it kept me riveted throughout. The atmosphere is pulsing with a richness that's lush and vivid, and it just sucked me right into the jungle heat of colonial Malaysia. There is so much going on in here: murders, superstition, secrets, and romance. It has a bit of everything, and there's never a dull moment.
And yet, I often found myself feeling frustrated when reading it. Pretty much every character and their actions relied on superstition and feelings rather than logic and facts. Even when things are clearly put in front of people, they would deny what they see in favor of what they felt. Decisions are made based on superstitions or what others would think, rather than what is right. I also found a lot of the dialogue to be awkward throughout. Some things are left unsaid that should be said, while things that don't need to be said are stated repeatedly.
In the end, this book turned out to be so much more, but also not quite what I expected it to be. It drew me in with its promise of magical realism and the two protagonists' journey of growing up and self-discovery. I was completely pulled into the rich evocative atmosphere, and it made for a riveting tale. For that, I'm glad I picked up this book.
Readaroo Rating: 3 stars
0 comments:
Post a Comment