The Tapestries: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A novel to remember
Review: A friend gave me this book for a present in my birthday, and it is just one of the best novels I've read. The 7 year old boy with his motherly wife, is a tremendous situation and all the things involved, just amazing! The slavery (not said) of the wife and the incredible descriptions of places and situations, are the things that kept me thinking about my own life and the suffering of others. I will recomend this book to all the people I know, specially those who complaint all the time about their own lives.

Rating:
Summary: A Flawed Gem
Review: I enjoyed this book and its a very interesting story. I like dhis first book a little better though. (The Unwanted) its worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, quintessentially Vietnamese story.
Review: I have read many books written in English about Vietnam, but found only a few that clearly reflect the soul and spirit of the Vietnamese: "The tapestries" is one of them.

The story took place between 1916 and 1932 in a small village near Hue, the Imperial City of Vietnam. This is a book about commoners, middle class people and royalty. It deals with a wicked magistrate and his granddaughter Mai but also a heroine Ven, who at age 15 was given in marriage to then seven year-old Dan. There are also a minister, a eunuch, the queen's lady-in-waiting, and a time-teller (similar to Quasimodo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame).

The story then moved to Hue and we are given a glimpse of the slowly fading monarchy. There were plots, murders, injustice, hate, love, and redemption throughout of the book. The plots were as thick as the tropical jungle (like any Vietnamese story) with a twist at every corner. The author kept us guessing (wrong most of the time) and held us in suspense until the next chapter.

I found the novel remarkable and I am certain the reader will appreciate and thank the author for bringing something exotic to the American public.

Rating:
Summary: A tiring read
Review: I was disappointed with this book as it is full of lengthy description of landscapes, food, foliage, buildings et al. It was a chore to complete reading it and I found myself occasionally skipping parts of it. The storyline was OK and the entire tale could have been told much more succinctly. I read the first book by the same author and would highly recommend that. It was much more gripping.

Rating:
Summary: Great Holiday Gift
Review: Nguyen's eloquent prose and rich characters were captivating. As a fan of The Unwanted, the author's memoir, I had high expectations. Nguyen did not disappoint. In this novel, he weaves a tapestry of a country's history and culture combined with a beautiful, moving love story.

Rating:
Summary: don't miss this one
Review: One of the best books I have ever read! Every page gives a twist on the history and keeps you awake until the surprising end.

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Summary: Romance, revenge, passion and adventure! I loved it!
Review: Set in Vietnam, and covering a period of time from 1916 onward, this novel grabbed my attention from the very beginning and held it throughout its 310 pages. The author is part Vietnamese and part American and grew up in Vietnam listening to stories told by his grandparents. There is therefore a sense of authenticity about the world he describes. But this is not a history book although it is set against the events of the early and mid-twentieth century. It is basically a family saga and a story of romance revenge, passion and adventure. There's corruption and cruelty and great love and sacrifice. There's a rigidly structured society, which defines the loves and lives of people. And then there are some really wonderful characters.

The book starts with an arranged marriage. We see the world through the bride's eyes. We wonder about the groom along with her because she is not even present at the wedding ceremony. She doesn't meet him until he comes to the bedroom that night. She's in for quite a surprise.

Later, we see the results of a cruel and corrupt government. We witness executions, which are described in excruciating detail. But that is just the beginning of the story that spans several decades. During this time, we see the changes in Vietnam and get involved with the characters. It seems as if something new happens on every page to further complicate the story.

The title refers to the main character, who is a tapestry weaver. However, the book itself can be considered a tapestry because of the way the author weaves his tale.

I loved this book and definitely recommend it.


Rating:
Summary: Nguyen Doesn't Disappoint.
Review: The Unwanted is a hard act to follow. Nguyen pulls it off beautifully. This novel is dark, eglegiac, riveting. The sort of book you don't want to end, you have to keep yourself from reading because you don't want to use it up too quickly. The language is stunning and the story complex and provocative. Highly recommended. A very smart book.

Rating:
Summary: don't miss this one
Review: this book is rich in it's magnitude and beautiful to read. the story is compelling and the characters are so real. as the story unfolds and the locations, history and people literally exude authenticity. it is a book that will take you into a world you might not know existed otherwise, and the story both fascinates and moves readers.

Rating:
Summary: A Flawed Gem
Review: This is a gem of a book with many qualities that have obviously endeared it to the other reviewers here. It's a good read for most readers, even if it suffers from several flaws.

The writing is mostly good, if somewhat artificial at times, especially when the author seemed to overreach in trying to be too lyrical. Behind the words, the story struggles to be told, even though one has probably guessed what it would be after the first two chapters. The historical background seems of uncertain authenticity and could have benefited from better research.

Somehow I wish that the author had not yielded to his editors and done things like reversing the traditional order of Vietnamese names, or making them easier to pronounce in English but unrecognizable in Vietnamese. After all, how would Americans feel if they were to read a Vietnamese book where George Bush is referred to as Bush George?