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Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Port Moody Public Library.
May 29, 2021Indoorcamping rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book is so good it’s above my level of writing to even write about the beautiful writing in this book. It’s not like anything I’ve read lately, certainly not like contemporary beach read fiction or bestseller hipster edgy novels. It’s more like your interesting grandpa telling you stories from his past while drinking tea in a cozy chair with a soft blanket. It’s also a lot more tense than that, surprisingly. The conflicts creep up on you. It seems so gentle yet you stay awake for hours reading just one more chapter, and then just one more, until you’re unable to stay awake. Soon you find yourself dreaming about the situations in the book that you’ve just read about. And you hate it that you fell asleep but you also love being able to inhabit this world, even if it is extremely constrained. An interesting but pre-revolutionary single man with no family in an old traditional hotel in a fast-changing country seems limiting. However constraints bring out the deepest intensity. I had to start this book three times before I was in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. Just like you have to be in the right frame of mind to be able to appreciate grandparent stories. Get yourself in a clear mind and relax into this little world. The warm memories stay with you forever.