Rating: 
Summary: Dull
Review: I don't understand why so many people found his writing style so interesting. Lee writes in fragments; it's like listening to Dan Quyale! I grew tired of having to re-read paragraphs to figure out what he is trying to say in her muddled dribble. This is not unique and interesting; it's a total disregard for correct grammar. Other than the awful prose, the book was painfully boring.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow
Review: This book is stagnated with slow pace and overly crafted form of writing. The character are sparse and non physical.
Rating:
Summary: Painful Memories
Review: A Gesture Life describes a painful secret life of Hata, whose life is a series of varnished externalities. Like the protagonist, this book is nothing but a series of polished sentences and emotional triggering events. I bet Harlequin Romance reader would enjoy this sappy attempt at a historical subject.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: I love Chang-Rae Lee's spare and beautiful writing! The ordeal of the Comfort Women was painful to read, but equally painful, was Doc Hata's lonely suburan life, i.e., his attempts to connect with others: the people in suburb, his daughter, the widow and finally his grandson. If anyone finds this book boring, it's because they do not appreciate fine literary fiction. I can't wait to read Native Speaker.
Rating:
Summary: tortured soul of solitary man
Review: The writer is skilled at conveying the hesitant, eager to appear correct tone of the narrator. Unfolds slowly, almost painfully. Compassionate and warm.
Rating:
Summary: Not satisfying
Review: I really wanted to like this new book by Mr. Lee because Ienjoyed his previous book The Native Speaker. Unlike his earlier work,his vision and insights are unclear and meandering in this one. Ithink this is due to Mr Lee's tendency to rely soley on his writing technique of invoking reader's emotions by his subtle style of writing. These techniques can only go so far to satisfy a literature lover like me. It's like painting a bright color outside of a house yet inside it's a shamble. As this book shows, the novel can not be soley dependent on techniques and execution of styles but also requires the innate talent and insights of bold new imaginations, which along with this book and many other books lack.
Rating:
Summary: This is a book to be read again.
Review: The writing is simple, elegant and beautiful. The story is powerful and important.
Rating:
Summary: An Unforgettable Performance
Review: An Asian-American "Remains of the Day" - Author Lee creates a voice reluctant to reveal the truth; when the secrets of the past (WWII, upstate New York in the '70's) are ultimately pulled out of the narrator, the evolving nature of the character is as haunting and powerful as anything in today's shamelessly confessional narratives. Lee gives us drama both horrific and subtle; the true sign of a brilliant writer is that the tiny moments of emotional change are as awesome as the more wide-screen scenes of tragedy and carnage. Heart-breaking, incredibly wise, and sure to collect a shiny prize or two.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: I enjoyed Native Speaker and was looking forward to Lee's next book. It was worth the wait, this is an elegantly written, completely engrossing story, I recommend it highly. Now I'm waiting for the next.
Rating:
Summary: too laboring
Review: There are books that you can just eat each pages off of and there are books like A Gesture life, where every page is a painful reminder that you just wasted your time and money. I really wanted to like this book because i liked Lee's Native Speaker, but this one proves to be a curse of the sequel projects.
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