The Long Season of Rain (Edge Books)

Rating:
Summary: Not so interesting.
Review: "We could not quite visualize houses sliding down the mountains, pigs and cows swimming, or people drowning in rain." The Long Season of Rain is an exceptional novel that immediately grasps its readers' attention and sustains it until the very last page. Set in South Korea in the summer of 1969, this novel explores the plight of the oppressed female in a traditional Asian society. With the advent of the Korean changma-- the rainy season, a male orphan comes to live in the Lee household. After having given birth to four beautiful, healthy daughters, the protagonist's mother is treated as an indentured servant and cannot inquire after her husband's activities outside home. Adhering to the belief that only sons are capable of taking care of their aged parents, the protagonist's mother wishes to adopt the orphan, but her plea is silenced by the disapproval of her husband and mother-in-law. Both heart-rending and heart-warming, The Long Season of Rain is a timeless masterpiece that deserves to be read by everyone across time and space.

Rating:
Summary: Not so interesting.
Review: Even though I'm not finish with this book, I think that it is really boring. It doesn't have anyhting interesting about it. Well, maybe in the begining because that was what caught my attention but when it got to the middle it was just plain boring. I think that it shouldn't babble about how the parents fight and talk about how Pyungsoo is doing.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, also one I would not highly recommend.
Review: I borrowed this book form the library last month. The one thing I don't like about the book is the part where Pyungsoo tells Junehee that she looks like "an Africa" when she came back from vacationing with her family. If Koreans/Asians think Africans look strange then I wouldn't want my children reading this book(when I do have children). It seems that Asians dislike Blacks and it shows up everywhere,from business/economics to publications and also socially. Otherwise the book is okay,and it gives adolescents good knowledge of Korean culture and lifestyle.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, also one I would not highly recommend.
Review: Since this book is told through the voice of an 11-year old it has been deemed "Young Adult Fiction". In reality it is a fascinating portrait of Korean life and traditions.

In Korean tradition, a son is supposed to take care of his parents, and a daughter's job is to take care of her husband and her in-laws. A family without a son, is a family without a caretaker. Women who do not produce sons are shunned and are mistreated.

The oldest child is also given special treatment. The protagonist's mother is referred to not by name, but as the oldest daughter's mother. As the second daughter, of four, Junehee must navigate between her oldest sister's demands, her withdrawn father, her domineering grandmother and her mother's sadness. The family also includes a servant-girl, a young woman of 19 whose parents can no longer afford to feed her.

This book deals with the stark realities of life outside the United States. For young first generation Asians, I think this is a fascinating portrait of their parent's childhood. For those interested in Asian culture and society, at any age, this is a very valuable book.

Rating:
Summary: Not For Children Only
Review: Since this book is told through the voice of an 11-year old it has been deemed "Young Adult Fiction". In reality it is a fascinating portrait of Korean life and traditions.

In Korean tradition, a son is supposed to take care of his parents, and a daughter's job is to take care of her husband and her in-laws. A family without a son, is a family without a caretaker. Women who do not produce sons are shunned and are mistreated.

The oldest child is also given special treatment. The protagonist's mother is referred to not by name, but as the oldest daughter's mother. As the second daughter, of four, Junehee must navigate between her oldest sister's demands, her withdrawn father, her domineering grandmother and her mother's sadness. The family also includes a servant-girl, a young woman of 19 whose parents can no longer afford to feed her.

This book deals with the stark realities of life outside the United States. For young first generation Asians, I think this is a fascinating portrait of their parent's childhood. For those interested in Asian culture and society, at any age, this is a very valuable book.

Rating:
Summary: The Deep Rooted Season of Rain
Review: The Long Season of rain was extremely interesting. I loved the book, the relationship between the family was distant... I found myself waiting for the next secret to unveal itself and wait for the families response to it. Junhee found herself in frightening situations, and as she found out each secret, the weight of each one began to build up on her, as well as her mother...