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astridandlouise's Reviews (665)
This has been on my to-read pile for years and now that I have read it I wonder what took me so long to read it in the first place! I thought that I had better pick it up now before the film was released. (I always prefer to read the book before I see the film adaptation)
This book gave me a lot of "Valley of the Dolls" feelings set in the modern and affluent times of today's Asian multi-million/billionaire families. I thought that I would find it difficult to follow along with so many different names but it wasn't a problem for me. The book was written as such that as long as you can keep rein on the dozen-or-so main characters, the supporting characters ease into the story line surrounding them and you can easily adapt to what is going on with whom.
I really appreciated the footnotes that the author provided throughout the text. It added authenticity and gave me new knowledge which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The story line kept me engaged and eager to finish so I could uncover the ending. It is lavish and bitchy, sometimes so very unbelievable and deplorable (not from a sense of outlandishness, but more so that people can really behave in such a way, but from personal experience I know that they can and do) and an absolute page turner. I was on team Rachel and Nick for the entirety of the book and cannot wait to see what develops over the course of the sequel which I am beginning immediately.
Also definitely looking forward to seeing the film now. Hopefully it's as fantastic and opulent as the book.
This book gave me a lot of "Valley of the Dolls" feelings set in the modern and affluent times of today's Asian multi-million/billionaire families. I thought that I would find it difficult to follow along with so many different names but it wasn't a problem for me. The book was written as such that as long as you can keep rein on the dozen-or-so main characters, the supporting characters ease into the story line surrounding them and you can easily adapt to what is going on with whom.
I really appreciated the footnotes that the author provided throughout the text. It added authenticity and gave me new knowledge which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The story line kept me engaged and eager to finish so I could uncover the ending. It is lavish and bitchy, sometimes so very unbelievable and deplorable (not from a sense of outlandishness, but more so that people can really behave in such a way, but from personal experience I know that they can and do) and an absolute page turner. I was on team Rachel and Nick for the entirety of the book and cannot wait to see what develops over the course of the sequel which I am beginning immediately.
Also definitely looking forward to seeing the film now. Hopefully it's as fantastic and opulent as the book.
Reading this book I found so many moments that I pointed out thinking, "YES! That is so me!" and reading other readers reviews, I can see many similarities. This is a book that has made anxiety a tighter and more defiant community. People who carry the beast with them know that there are many more others like them and that they're not alone in their sometimes bizarre, yet completely normal rituals or daily mechanisms.
I never have thought that anxiety is part of my build. After reading this, I can see that so many of the little things that I do daily are akin to guiding the beast through the ebbs and flows of my life. I would have never thought to even entertain the idea that it perhaps is anxiety; not because of a preconceived perception that I have, but more so because I have never really been able to understand what anxiety or its triggers are. As it is not something necessarily tangible (to me), my ability to dissect it is thwarted; it's something I can't analyse which is my preferred method of investigation. It's challenging for me and that's something that is both exciting and terrifying simultaneously.
I feel like I have to go back and read this through again as there were so many sentences, phrases and quotes that jumped off the page for me. I want to highlight, post-it and notate this book to within an inch of its being.
At the conclusion of reading I was going to rate this 3 stars however, as the days passed I found my mind thinking back to it at various points of the day. It's a book that has fixed itself to me, which many rarely do hence I'm upping the rating to a 4.
I never have thought that anxiety is part of my build. After reading this, I can see that so many of the little things that I do daily are akin to guiding the beast through the ebbs and flows of my life. I would have never thought to even entertain the idea that it perhaps is anxiety; not because of a preconceived perception that I have, but more so because I have never really been able to understand what anxiety or its triggers are. As it is not something necessarily tangible (to me), my ability to dissect it is thwarted; it's something I can't analyse which is my preferred method of investigation. It's challenging for me and that's something that is both exciting and terrifying simultaneously.
I feel like I have to go back and read this through again as there were so many sentences, phrases and quotes that jumped off the page for me. I want to highlight, post-it and notate this book to within an inch of its being.
At the conclusion of reading I was going to rate this 3 stars however, as the days passed I found my mind thinking back to it at various points of the day. It's a book that has fixed itself to me, which many rarely do hence I'm upping the rating to a 4.
I was slightly confused by the writing style when I started reading this (probably doesn't help that I was jet-lagged, sick and struggling to keep my eyes open - so I'd take this review with a grain of salt!) and wasn't sure what Winman was trying to achieve.
By the time I hit the halfway mark I was in deep. The second half of the book made so much more sense to me and I finally understood. (Perhaps my jet-lag had worn off...)
I can appreciate why others have loved it so much, it pulls at the heart strings. It's sensitive yet powerful; delightful yet fragile and heartwarming yet heartbreaking.
By the time I hit the halfway mark I was in deep. The second half of the book made so much more sense to me and I finally understood. (Perhaps my jet-lag had worn off...)
I can appreciate why others have loved it so much, it pulls at the heart strings. It's sensitive yet powerful; delightful yet fragile and heartwarming yet heartbreaking.
The end of this book was really good. Was expecting a typical Women's Fiction ending (aka everything coming up roses for everyone, which wasn't the case) and it was refreshing when the author took the path less travelled. The characters weren't two dimensional which for me is always a concern when going into a book of this genre. Enjoyed the storyline; was funny in some places, heartbreaking in others and it was definitely relevant to society today.
As a Collective Hub and Lisa Messenger fangirl, this book was a great overview of the business, its decisions over the past twelve months and how it got where it is now - a folded magazine, but not a folded business. It was eye-opening to see what so many would have seen as failure from a different viewpoint and taking the necessary steps to ensure what so many people love and admire didn't disappear into a failed venture.
As a book for people needing guidance with their own struggling businesses it falls a little flat. It gives snippets of what owners, CEO's etc should perhaps explore or give thought too but if you're searching for something to give you overwhelming detail and how to execute it, this isn't the book for you. However it would provide you with a great perspective of what not to do in the growth stages of your business and the signs that you shouldn't ignore. Love that Lisa gives her heart and soul into everything she writes - the rawness and realness is what is lacking in so much of today's society. Thanks to social media, all that everyone seems to see is polished perfection, which we know it isn't 85% of the time. It's hard- people should see that and know it.
As a book for people needing guidance with their own struggling businesses it falls a little flat. It gives snippets of what owners, CEO's etc should perhaps explore or give thought too but if you're searching for something to give you overwhelming detail and how to execute it, this isn't the book for you. However it would provide you with a great perspective of what not to do in the growth stages of your business and the signs that you shouldn't ignore. Love that Lisa gives her heart and soul into everything she writes - the rawness and realness is what is lacking in so much of today's society. Thanks to social media, all that everyone seems to see is polished perfection, which we know it isn't 85% of the time. It's hard- people should see that and know it.
I really enjoyed this. A great cross section of short stories with various subject manner. I found a few similarities between Yoon and Murakami's short story style. Great writing style and very descriptive - great translation.
