“It was ok. The first couple of stories did not hold very much interest as the characters were vapid despite their supposed class, adventure, and talents. The latter stories held my attention more. However, I've read several books recently that infantilize current and future Asian culture. Namely, saying they are shallow in that it is all Hello Kitty consumerism. It's another form of Western-centric thinking that gets pretty tiresome. There was lots of talk about the book as being gimmicky, but I didn't mind the construct at all. Mitchell flows pretty easily in his varied writing styles. However, early on I just wanted it to be over because the style was so, I don't know--pedantic, effete, something that I can't put my finger on. Annoying seems the best word. Given the eras he wanted to capture, I guess he was successful. Maybe that's why I don't like reading Dickens. It's just the style o' the times.”
John Kelley wrote this review Friday, February 1, 2013.
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