Rating: 
Summary: Quick ending
Review: One of the things that I got from this book was - grass is always greener of the other side. Lin waiting so long to be with what he thought was the love of his life, Manna and when he finally got to be with her, it was not the bed of roses he had expected. In the process of waiting for her, he humiliated his wife - who as one of the critics mentioned was not explored as we do not know what is going through her head, he finally realized that she is such a sweetheart. In short, appreciate what you have know as you will lose out on so much time 'waiting' to be happy or be rich or whatever. Also, I found the ending was rushed. Okay so the divorce was final and the rest just raced. The whole moving process of his wife, getting to know his daughter, the married life with Manna, his sons... Though the book was short enough and very easy to read, I wish he had written more and explored more of the characters that effected Lin's life - his daughter, Shuyu, his brother-in-law. Also his married life that he waited so long for. This way we could have know his thoughts before the marriage, which were detailed and after marriage - more detail would have been good. Also maybe tell us that divorce is something you have to really think about because you do not want to regret it. I think he did regret in the end divorcing Shuyu because I think he felt like he did not give her a chance or their marriage. He worried about what others would think, that he was forced into marriage.. but he did not try to see the positive side or find the light in what is already done. Overall, a good book as you do get the message and learn about the lifestyle in China at that time. The frustrations, the rules.
Rating: 
Summary: "waiting" sums it up
Review: Waiting is an interesting view into archaic although recent Chinese society. It's pretty slow going and the reader is left waiting for something to happen for the main characters the first third of the book. Things do get interesting towards the end, however by then I wasn't rooting for them anymore.
Rating:
Summary: a thoughtful and honest story...
Review: I have just finished reading this book and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I failed to engage with the characters and was left a little cold but I would guess that this may have been the desired effect. Waiting is written in an uncomplicated style using simple language but in doing so Ha Jin has managed to pen some beautiful and lyrical passages. He has also managed to paint an honest picture of life and the human emotion within it. The tone and feel of the story reminded me somewhat of Ang Lee's film Eat Drink Man Woman. The way in which the main characters seemed largely unhappy with their lot but were content to muddle on is very much like the movie. However, the main problem the book faces is that none of the characters are particularly sympathetic. I began reading the book with some empathy but as the story, years and characters progress they get more and more cold, more and more distant and as a reader I began to care less and less. Although I did not care I was still intrigued and this is where Ha Jin just about manages to pull it off. Especially at the end when he creates a genuinely thought provoking and moving finale. A good story told simply and well which is always worthy of a recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Masterfully Written
Review: This book is beautiful. Its descriptions of the characters, the setting, and the times paints vivid pictures in the reader's mind. Although I could see where the writer was headed as the book came to a close, the ending was still a surprise. (I felt the ending was too abrupt, in addition to the content of the ending.) I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully and simply written-Universally true
Review: I loved this novel for the relevance it shows to my own life. Ha Jin leads us through Lin's life as he seeks to secure a divorce so he can marry his true love, only to find himself less than fulfilled 18 years later when it finally happens. How many of us waste precious time waiting for something better-that ultimate fulfillment, as life changes us and ultimately passes us by.This reminds me to try to enjoy the here and now.
Rating:
Summary: The ties of home in modern China
Review: I found this an engrossing look at life in modern China--it's hard for us in the West to grasp the restrictions--not only political but personal--that these characters lived under. But on a deeper level this book is about home, and tradition--the annual visits home were beautifully described--watch especially for the character's description of the food he eats in the country as opposed to the city. I loved the description of the simple country wife--her shopping list. Her stubborn patience, asking nothing for herself, is something no Western woman could ever understand.
Rating:
Summary: Good novel with unexpected ending
Review: I read the first 75% of the novel with disdain, and most of it was directed at the two protagonists of the novel, Lin and Manna. I've never read any main characters as passive, stupid, and pathetic. I don't know if Ha Jin was trying to generate sympathy for the characters, but it didn't work for me. Like I said before, I looked down on the characters--most of their misfortunes were self-inflicted, whether from Lin's arranged marriage to his dumb wife or their pointless "waiting" itself. And I didn't buy for a New York minute that Lin would keep on going back to his wife for a divorce once a year for 18 years without thinking of trying something else; I mean, how dumb can a guy be? So . . . going into the final quarter of the novel, I expected a total cliched tragic ending. A lot of these Chinese books and movies always go for this, like Joan Chen's witless movie Xiu Xiu. However, Ha Jin does something interesting, and the ending surprised me. Far from being cliched, it was quite original and utterly believable and realistic. Ha Jin shows what reality is: that no matter how sad the people and their situation, life goes on. Sad people generally do not commit suicide or die of cancer when it's convenient for the plot. As such, I applaud this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: trite and disappointing
Review: I am not sure why this is called a love story, since Lin, by his own admission, has never been in love. He finds the true details of love intrusive and is actually looking for maid and laundry service. The language of the book is extremely uneven. The narration is sometimes lovely, sometimes archaic (they copulated a long time.) while the conversation is full of jarring Americanish colloquialisms (Girl, you're crazy!) which do not fit the characters or events. The omnipresent voice couldn't be a more overused device. Lin's stilted conversations with 'the voice' was like being hit over the head with the obvious. Ultimately, this is a dreary book about a self-centered man who only wants what he doesn't have and the two women who, for reasons never understood, love him.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written insight into communist life
Review: This book was recommended to me by a Bulgarian woman because she said it was a very accurate portrayal of the beliefs and limitations on peoples' lives under the control of a communist government. The story of Lin's plight to divorce his wife in a society that does not accept such practices for the average worker is both eye-opening and compelling. It is important for anyone with an interest in China to read this novel for a very well written (although somewhat depressing) portrayal of the struggle of the average man.
Rating: 
Summary: Waiting.... for the point
Review: While I appreciated Ha Jin's prose, I found myself impatient with the the character development and pace of the story. The glimpses of the events taking place in China over the story's time period were interesting, as were the glimpses into the Chinese culture. However, I felt bogged down in the minute details of characters' actions, that had no seeming relevance to the story. Although the conclusion was similar to Aesop's dog/bone fable...(you always want what you can't have, and by the time you get what it was you thought you wanted, you still want the other thing), The story did not make me care enough about any of the characters to feel that the time spent reading it was worthwhile. I felt Lin Kong was a weak man and that Manna Wu was a manipulative, shrewish woman, and stopped caring about both of them about midway through the book. Unfortunately, I kept reading, waiting, and hoping that there would be some greater relevance to be found within this tale. Alas, there was not.
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