The Girl Who Played Go: A Novel (edit title)

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Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It Rated 5 stars “Stunning. So incredibly blunt and mysterious at the same time. Clynically accurate and incredibly poetric - a mystery to me, really. It's definitely a piece of great skill and amazing imagination. It's a love story, in a way and it's sad and terrible and shocking, but I love it so...” see full review » see other reviews »

Didn’t Like It Rated 2 stars “Cách viết truyện độc đáo tuy nhiên tôi ko thik văn học TQ lắm :D” see full review » see other reviews »

Newest Reviews

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  • Rated 0 stars

  “Great read about a historical period (1930s Manchuria) under Japanese occupation; devastating finale!”

  liz w wrote this review 6 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 3 stars

  “Synopsis: Chinese teenager and Japanese soldier develop a bond while playing Go in a small town in occupied Manchuria.
  
  My Take: A common theme in the ex-pat Chinese authors I’ve read to date (eg Ha Jin, Yiyun Li) is melodrama and The Girl Who Played Go is no exception. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but they definitely turn the emotional torment of their characters up to 11. I’m still trying to work out whether this is an inherently Chinese characteristic or something that has been triggered by the torments of fleeing your home country. At any rate, I think the heightened emotions work in this book and fitted well with the story’s dramatic canvas of soldiers, revolutionaries and teenage girls.
  
  Highlight: From the reviews I’ve read the ending is a bit of a love it or loathe it affair. For my part I liked it and thought it gave the book a much greater impact than it had developed up to that time. I’m not going to spoil it for you though – you’ll just have to read it for yourself.”

  Tim W wrote this review Thursday, September 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 2 stars

  “Cách viết truyện độc đáo tuy nhiên tôi ko thik văn học TQ lắm :D”

  Capy89 wrote this review Friday, April 3 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 3 stars

  “A sort of Japanese Romeo & Juliet, this is a very quick read that transports the reader to Manchuria during the 1930's.”

  Amy N wrote this review Tuesday, May 13 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 5 stars

  “Stunning. So incredibly blunt and mysterious at the same time. Clynically accurate and incredibly poetric - a mystery to me, really.
  It's definitely a piece of great skill and amazing imagination. It's a love story, in a way and it's sad and terrible and shocking, but I love it so much.
  
  In a way it appeals to that side in me that feels drawn to the bravery and honour that goes with the lives of soldiers, and at the same time it shows the horrors of war so shockingly and heart-wrenchingly it makes you want to cry. It mixes all these emotions beautifully!
  
  I have seen an adaptation of this book as a play a while ago and loved it there, the book is even more impressive. Completely recommendable.”

  Laila wrote this review Friday, February 29 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 0 stars

  “Not that good.”

  Moby_McNabb wrote this review Friday, September 7 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 2 stars

  “Very disappointing. The characters were two-dimensional. The descriptions of Go lacked excitement and power. The story overall read like a school exercise in plot development. Read Kawabata's "The Master of Go" instead of this. ”

  macloo wrote this review Thursday, July 26 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No