House of the Winds (Emerging Voices. New International Fiction)

Rating:
Summary: A Moving Story Wonderfully Told
Review: House of the Winds is a wonderful novel of Korea set mainly in the 1960's but its poetic truth transcends any one country or time period. It is beautifully written without an ounce of self-pity or attempt to impress us with Asian exotica. Mia Yun makes every word count and her descriptions make us deeply feel the happiness and sorrow of the characters. This is not the fortune-cookie fiction that sometimes passes as modern Asian or Asian-American literature. This is brilliant writing often with stunning and unexpected metaphors. The understated yet moving way the writer evokes the character Bright Bijou allows us to feel the sexual awakening as well as the crushing despair of a young farm girl even though she is so different from us. I very much look forward to Mia Yun's next novel. Dean Barrett, Author, Hangman's Point

Rating:
Summary: A Gem!
Review: I am a Korean-American woman and an avid fan of fiction books written about Asian history. After tirelessly waiting for Amy Tan to write a new book, I ventured on and picked up this one on a whim on my honeymoon in Maui. I really loved the picturesque writing. It makes me wonder what the scenery that my parents must have grew up in may have looked like. This novel is not only a wonderful story, but a great history lesson.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story of a Korean childhood
Review: I am a Korean-American woman and an avid fan of fiction books written about Asian history. After tirelessly waiting for Amy Tan to write a new book, I ventured on and picked up this one on a whim on my honeymoon in Maui. I really loved the picturesque writing. It makes me wonder what the scenery that my parents must have grew up in may have looked like. This novel is not only a wonderful story, but a great history lesson.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly Refreshing
Review: I can't say enough good things about this brilliant novel. It is so different from anything I have read recently. One thing about "House of the Winds" is that it has the timesless quality we see in books that become classics. It is utterly refreshing! The book shows you how an excellent writer could tell a story so originally despite the universal theme, that is, family. Mia Yun's language is so very vivid and lyrical, so very eloquent and truthful, it moved me to tears many times. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in not only a good story-telling but also in great writing. Yun earned my admiration.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly Refreshing
Review: I can't say enough good things about this brilliant novel. It is so different from anything I have read recently. One thing about "House of the Winds" is that it has the timesless quality we see in books that become classics. It is utterly refreshing! The book shows you how an excellent writer could tell a story so originally despite the universal theme, that is, family. Mia Yun's language is so very vivid and lyrical, so very eloquent and truthful, it moved me to tears many times. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in not only a good story-telling but also in great writing. Yun earned my admiration.

Rating:
Summary: A superb and dazzling book.
Review: I first saw that House of the Winds was chosen as one of the best books on Asia published in 1998 and then later I read that it was also a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award in the multi-cultural fiction category. When I finally read the novel, I was simply stunned by the beauty of the language and the sharp and piercing observations. Not only is the novel beautifully written but it is also so uncommonly moving. House of the Winds transcends its Korean setting and I regard this book a work of great world literature.

Rating:
Summary: Very vivid writing
Review: I found this lovely novel very refreshing - different from many others out there. Yun's writing is very vivid. I could picture the landscapes and feel the textures and smell the smells. Moreover, I found Yun a very gifted story teller. She has the rare ability to capture the human drama in an understated and quiet manner. If you are looking for something different, I highly recommend that you read this novel.

Rating:
Summary: The Lethal Loss of Strategy
Review: I happned to pick up this when it came out as a hard cover and got very interested considering how few Korean authors accomplished their works in English and published compared to the ingreasing number of up and coming Chinese authors who write in English(/French). Thank God this House of winds did not mess it more with any explosive agitprop of politics, an aggresive and grudging stance for Japanese occupation nor any tenaciously self-serving & emotional moral/family value (they are very common themes in Korean lit/culture). The irony was, tho', that this lirycism of House of winds ends up rather pointless and dull because of its fatal lack of drama, conflict or any articulate stand taken by anybody. At least, the story should have something that we could sympathize and follow with to the end. House of winds was so comfortably easy and gentle touch that it did not offer any grip nor edge, but imagine how boring and horrible reading without them! Everybody in this story was really GOOD PEOPLE. The characters are so lifeless, almost seemed to be dead. If only language in the work was good enough to appreciate one by one as reading poem. Unfortunately, it didn't meet the standard of what's so called poetics, either.
It might be a good alternative reading for those Asian (reading) lovers who have got enough of scandalous inhumanity or/and bloodthirst politics of Eastern world. However, this work seemed to be such an immature/preamture one. I suspect if it is caused by the author's loss of strategy rather than the talent.

Rating:
Summary: too wispy, too fragmented
Review: I liked the idea of a novel set like a string of dreams, snapshots of memories of the author, mother, grandmother. But in the end, it was confusing and too wispy. The story line gets too fragmented. Without some base or foundation like an author thinking in flashback, I just felt lost. Some humorous and poignant pieces, but that was all it seemed to be, just pieces.

Rating:
Summary: A Gem!
Review: I was deeply moved by this coming of age story set in Korea. The book is a rare combination of compelling storytelling and exquisite writing--a real gem!