Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this read. Follows the life of a young Polish girl (Alma) sent by her parents to San Francisco to escape the Nazi occupation. She lives with her affluent aunt & uncle. Good characters. A young girl befriends Alma in a retirement home in her later years and together they form a friendship that benefits them both - helping each to heal. Also a forbidden love that lasts a lifetime. Very good read!
Helpful Score: 1
The characters in this novel are very engaging: so engaging that I sat up until 2 am to finish their life stories. The setting is San Francisco which includes an interesting mix of characters of various ages and cultural backgrounds. The main characters reveal hidden secrets throughout their relationships which are neatly tied up together by the end of the book. Their stories cause one to contemplate the huge impact societal norms have on our behaviors and make one to stop and think "what if......"
The Japanese Lover is the first Isabel Allende book I have read. I will have to try a different one by her because this is not the book for me. It has too many different stories and issues that for me don't come together. Plus, a main character I don't care for and a grand love story I don't really believe make this book a tough read for me.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/10/the-japanese-lover.html
Reviewed based on a publisher's galley received through NetGalley
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/10/the-japanese-lover.html
Reviewed based on a publisher's galley received through NetGalley
Totally mesmerizing. I could not put it down.
Very compelling. Loved it.
Very compelling. Loved it.
I liked but did not love "The Japanese Lover." Parts about Alma's life story and the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II were well-written and interesting. I really liked reading about the eccentric Lark House. But the main love stories in the novel didn't work for me. There is no reasoning behind why Seth would be so in love with Irina when she had shown no interest in him for three years. Ichi, the eponymous title character, is described well in the story with regard to his family, but I never got a sense of what drew he and Alma together and made them remain in love for decades. The side plot about Alma's brother Samuel was useless. Isabel Allende fans have encouraged me to try some of her other titles.
Wow! This was a very good read. It tells a story about not only the two lovers, but several members of their families and a few surrounding characters. It was told in part flash-back, part present- but I was never lost. The story flew by, and I even teared up in a few places. I might not have picked this one up if it hadn't been a book club read, but I am certainly glad I did! I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
I had a hard time deciding how to rate this book. I skimmed through a lot of unecessary boring descriptions and had a hard time relating to the story. It briefly referenced many historical events like WW2, Japanese American internment Camps, AIDS, Gay Rights, child abusers and child porn.
The life story of Alma who chose to live in an upscale Nursing Home instead of staying with her family in her beloved Sea Cliff mansion as well as her mourning the love of her life was beyond belief. I didn't believe it for a minute!
However it did hold my interest enough to finish the satisfying ending.
The life story of Alma who chose to live in an upscale Nursing Home instead of staying with her family in her beloved Sea Cliff mansion as well as her mourning the love of her life was beyond belief. I didn't believe it for a minute!
However it did hold my interest enough to finish the satisfying ending.
