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The Invisibility Cloak
The Invisibility Cloak | Ge Fei
39 posts | 15 read | 22 to read
An NYRB Classics Original The hero of The Invisibility Cloak lives in contemporary Beijingwhere everyone is doing their best to hustle up the ladder of success while shouldering an ever-growing burden of consumer goodsand hes a loser. Well into his forties, hes divorced (and still doting on his ex), childless, and living with his sister (her husband wants him out) in an apartment at the edge of town with a crack in the wall the wind from the north blows through while he gets by, just, by making customized old-fashioned amplifiers for the occasional rich audio-obsessive. He has contempt for his clients and contempt for himself. The only things he really likes are Beethoven and vintage speakers. Then an old friend tips him off about a special joba little risky but just dont ask too many questionsand can it really be that this hopeless loser wins? This provocative and seriously funny exercise in the social fantastic by the brilliantly original Ge Fei, one of Chinas finest living writers, is among the most original works of fiction to come out of China in recent years. It is sure to appeal to readers of Haruki Murakami and other fabulists of contemporary irreality.
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review
Sparklemn
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Pickpick

Short novel about a Beijing man who builds stereo systems for a living and his struggles with love, family and money. It was…odd. I‘d give it a pick because it‘s short and strange. #boxwalla

Suet624 I liked this one. 😀 3y
49 likes1 comment
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Suet624
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“Who knew that such a beautiful place could be hidden away in the suburbs of Beijing! As I wound down the narrow mountain road, a feeling of awe washed over me, as well as feelings of sorrow and resentment for being excluded.” I remember feeling similarly when flowers & blue sky were ever-present in California in February while my friends on the east coast were cold & shoveling. It‘s hard to explain but I was so sorry they were excluded from this.

kspenmoll You explained your empathy for others quite well. Beautiful quote and photo. 4y
Suet624 Thanks for understanding me Katherine. 💕 4y
49 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Suet624
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Mehso-so

While this wasn‘t my favorite of the #NYRBbookclub selections, I know many of the scenes will stay with me. It‘s a brief study of the culture of old China vs. the new materialistic capitalist China and details the ways in which family and friends can deceive and manipulate. The main character, living in poverty, builds and sells high end sound systems to the wealthy. It‘s an odd book with an abrupt ending and a number of wonderful insights.🤷🏻‍♀️

BarbaraBB Fab review. I enjoyed the China parts more than the plot! 4y
LeahBergen Great review (and I felt pretty much the same way). 4y
Suet624 @BarbaraBB @leahbergen This book was really hard to review because I didn't want to oversell it. On the other hand I liked it. It had its flaws but it had some gems. Thus my confused emoji at the end. :) 4y
55 likes3 comments
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batsy
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Pickpick

Wanted to steal @emilyhaldi 's review because it sums up the book so well :) This is a 3 ⭐ pick for me. Not wow, but I liked something about the self-deprecating tone shot through with black humour & the nuggets of insight that fill its pages. I think it's trying to raise some interesting questions about art, authenticity, & meaning, but it comes off a little too slight. Still, I always enjoy an underachiever's tale told with wit. #nyrbbookclub

emilyhaldi You're much too kind- and I agree with your review completely! Especially regarding those "nuggets of wisdom" ? 4y
batsy @emilyhaldi 😊❤️ 4y
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mklong
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Love it when my book matches my flowers! Slow start, but I hope to finish up tonight in time for the #NYRBBookClub discussion tomorrow.

Texreader 👍🏻💙 4y
vivastory It's a quick read. Looking forward to your thoughts on it. 4y
batsy Beautiful photo 😍 4y
erzascarletbookgasm Gorgeous pic and flowers! 4y
LeahBergen Look at those hydrangeas! 💙 4y
48 likes5 comments
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emilyhaldi
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Mehso-so

Hmmmm ok, well I have some conflicting thoughts on this but I'm going to consider Mr. Cui's concluding instruction to "stop nitpicking and dissecting every little thing... keep one eye closed and one eye open... quit worrying about everything and everybody" and life (and this book?) will actually be pretty fucking beautiful ?
#NYRBbookclub

BarbaraBB Such a spot on summary 😀 4y
BarbaraBB That cat 😻😻 4y
vivastory Very nicely said 4y
See All 6 Comments
batsy Love this review 💕 4y
LeahBergen Yep. I‘m feeling much the same way about this one. 4y
Reviewsbylola I‘m actually glad I skipped this one. 4y
62 likes6 comments
review
Leftcoastzen
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Pickpick

#NYRBBookClub a pick, but not enthusiastically so.Mr.Cui may not have status or money, but he has an interesting skill, building high end audio sets.Ones he basically can‘t afford to own.As he struggles to make ends meet , his friends & family are more antagonistic than helpful or supportive.Cui was left behind in the Beijing boom,amazed at the shallow & greedy who seek status with an almost western capitalist zeal.Some dark humor throughout.

vivastory Excellent review. I agree with you. Although I rated it a so-so, there is certainly elements I like: narrative voice, aphoristic insight scattered around... I've just read better version IMO 5y
BarbaraBB Great review. I liked to learn a bit more about current day China but wasn‘t blown away by the story. 5y
batsy Nice review! I agree @vivastory those are the elements I liked. I'm almost finished and I'm pretty sure it's a pick but it just missed being wow for me. 5y
59 likes3 comments
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batsy
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Suet624 Loved this quote. 5y
GreenGrl87 Whoa 5y
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Leftcoastzen There are little gems in this book. 5y
paulfrankspencer Apparently there are degrees to familial love. 5y
vivastory I really liked that quote 5y
batsy @Suet624 @vivastory like @Leftcoastzen said this book has some gems of insight! 5y
batsy @Cathythoughts @GreenGrl87 Lots of good quotes in this book that I don't want to think about too much 😥 5y
batsy @paulfrankspencer Very much so! 5y
Reggie Yikes!!! 5y
batsy @Reggie I had to pause my reading and shake it off, lol 5y
77 likes11 comments
quote
Suet624
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Lyrics from a Peking opera. Unfortunately they‘re not wrong. #nyrbbookclub

sisilia I LOL-ed when I read this 😆 5y
Suet624 Strangely it was the perfect summation of the last book I read. 5y
batsy I haven't reached this bit yet but that's too good 😅 5y
50 likes3 comments
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LeahBergen
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Okay, I‘m heading in, my fellow #NYRBBookClub pals!

This one seems to be splitting people‘s opinions. 🤔

vivastory I'll be curious to see what you think! 5y
Leftcoastzen Am I the last to start this as in not yet !?😀🙄🤦‍♀️ 5y
tpixie I love how you drink took up the cover of the book! #Reflections 5y
mklong @Leftcoastzen Nope 🙋🏻‍♀️ Late as usual over here too. It‘s short, so we should be fine right? 5y
Suet624 Just started too. 5y
82 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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sisilia
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Last one 😆

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sisilia
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Yeaaaahhhh... YOLO, just go with the flow 🤪

TheSpineView Great quote!💜 5y
44 likes1 comment
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sisilia
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A lot of people are pushing their limits just to look “rich”, which is a dumb thing to do. Why do we care about what others think?

Leftcoastzen 👏👏 5y
vivastory Such a great line! 5y
Suet624 Yes!! 5y
41 likes3 comments
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sisilia
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Another one from this book 💕

Leftcoastzen Like that one , too ! I have to start reading it. 5y
sisilia @Leftcoastzen Looking forward to discussing this 😃 5y
batsy Oof so true. I still haven't started yet but I like all the quotes you've shared! 5y
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sisilia @batsy 💕😁 5y
Liz_M That struck a cord with me as well 🙂. 5y
emilyhaldi I underlined this section as well 🤗 5y
sisilia @Liz_M @emilyhaldi Favorite phrase! 🥰 5y
33 likes2 stack adds7 comments
review
Billypar
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Mehso-so

#nyrbbookclub
I enjoyed the sly humor about characters without many redeeming qualities, but was a little disappointed that the mystery aspects introduced early on didn't end up developing very far. The writing was engaging, but I would have enjoyed more twists and turns: the short length and anticlimax gave it an unfinished feel. I did like the descriptions of high quality sound systems - it made me want to listen to what was being described.

merelybookish I felt similarly. There were aspects I liked but not everything added together. 5y
vivastory Good review. Too bad it didn't turn out great. 5y
Billypar @merelybookish @vivastory I'm glad we're discussing it- definitely a few things I wanted to hear from others about. 5y
batsy I haven't started (and I should!) but I'm seeing a few reviews/comments in this vein! 5y
Billypar @batsy It's pretty short, so you should be able to polish off quickly. I think so far reviews are split between 'pick' and 'so-so'. Interested to hear your thoughts! 5y
38 likes5 comments
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merelybookish
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Mehso-so

Between a pick and a so-so. I enjoyed the descriptions of present-day Beijing as well as the Beijing of the narrator's childhood. I also was intrigued by the family and friendship dynamics. But a lot left me mystified. There were significant themes that eluded me, a plot I didn't really care about, and some questions that remained unanswered. As always, I look forward to what other #nyrbbookclub members have to say. @vivastory

vivastory I just started this. I'm enjoying it so far, but I think I might feel the same! Should be an interesting discussion! 5y
59 likes1 comment
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merelybookish
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From 1950s small-town Iowa to 21st century Beijing. Diving into May's #nyrbbookclub selection. Something to keep me sane while I'm in a four-hour zoom class. 😩 @vivastory

BoldCityBooks What kindle is this? Newer model? Looks bigger than mine 5y
kspenmoll 4 hours! 5y
BarbaraBB 4 hours?! That‘s impossible 😫 5y
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merelybookish @Nebula_of_Books I think it's a Paperwhite. I've had it a few years. 5y
merelybookish @kspenmoll @BarbaraBB I know. It's ridiculous. People don't seem to understand that online education is not the same as being in a classroom. 5y
vivastory I feel bad for pushing the like button on this 😬 5y
merelybookish @vivastory Haha! I appreciate that. There's not much to like! 5y
57 likes7 comments
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saresmoore
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I‘m not sure what to think of this book, so far. The writing is clever and I‘m liking the narrator‘s POV, but not sure where the story is going... 🧐 #NYRBBookClub #bookandbump

Leftcoastzen Need to get started, nice bump!😀 5y
Billypar I was having the same reaction - I just passed a quarter of the way through, but the last page I read introduced a tantalizing hint of a plot to come...and now I have to start work. It's times like these I wish I wasn't such an honest work-from- home employee 😅 5y
saresmoore @Billypar Isn‘t integrity such a burden?! I hope you‘ll get some more reading time soon! 5y
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ulyssesartmiller Oh hey, NYRB book club! I‘ve been considering signing up for that. How is it overall? 5y
BarbaraBB @ulyssesartmiller I‘ll tag @vivastory for you, he knows all about our great book club! 5y
Suet624 Thank you for this beautiful photo. I love seeing a pregnant belly. 5y
LeahBergen Aww, I love this photo! 💙 5y
71 likes3 stack adds8 comments
review
BarbaraBB
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Pickpick

This book is called a comic novel but to me it‘s tragicomic at the most, with a bit of fantasy. Highly original and I loved to peak into modern China.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Cui, a middle aged man who barely scrapes by in Beijing by building high quality audio systems for wealthy customers.

#NYRB #NYRBBookClub ⬇️⬇️⬇️

BarbaraBB His social life consists of a lingering love for his unfaithful ex-wife, a childhood friend, and the sister who demands he turn over his apartment to her. To solve his logistical problems he takes on an audio project for a risky client. 5y
Megabooks I love this cover!! 5y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks Me too, I‘d read it only for its cover 😍 5y
vivastory I'm glad you liked it! 🙂 5y
75 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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saresmoore
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As the marvelous music permeated the dark night, the whole world seemed to fall silent at once, turning darkly mysterious. Even my two goldfish in their enameled stoneware basin would leap up and disturb the water with their tails, wriggling with cold excitement. An illusion of hiding in the quietest corner of the deepest place on earth would take over my consciousness.

#NYRBBookClub

saresmoore I just started this morning & I am enjoying the meandering, but still brief observational style. It seems we are deeply enmeshed in the narrator‘s introspection from the beginning. 5y
Cinfhen So good to see you!!! Hope you‘re feeling well and the girls are busy bees 🐝 🐝 ♥️ I think it‘s your birthday soon ~ sending love 🌻 🌻🌻 5y
saresmoore @Cinfhen Thank you, sweet friend! The girls are thriving, even in spite of the quarantine. Lucy is doing a lot of coding and working with an amazing teacher to hone her writing skills. Elliott is mostly just being a very emotive 9yo, creative intricate dolls & dollhouses, and waiting impatiently for her baby sister to arrive! 5y
See All 18 Comments
Cinfhen Another girl 💗💗💗how awesome!!!! Thanks for the update on Lucy & Ellie 😁 glad you‘re all doing well...looking forward to a family photo ❣️❣️❣️ 5y
BarbaraBB Beautiful quote. I am starting the book right now too. Happy to hear you are all doing well. When are you due? 👶🏻 5y
Megabooks Congratulations on you 3rd girl!! 💖💖 Also there‘s definitely some #coverlove with that book! 5y
saresmoore @BarbaraBB Due date is July 23, but my first two came a few weeks ahead of the estimate, so I‘m preparing for early July. Who am I kidding? I‘m prepared for any moment! 5y
saresmoore @Megabooks Thank you! 5y
BarbaraBB So exciting! I hope you are feeling well yourself too. Take care & keep us posted ❤️ 5y
LeahBergen Happy Birthday, my lovely friend! Sending all sorts of love and best wishes your way!! 😘😘😘 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Happy birthday Sara! 💗🥳 5y
saresmoore @LeahBergen @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you, sweet friends! 🥰 5y
batsy Happy birthday, lovely Sara! Wishing you much happiness ❤️🎈📚🧁 5y
Centique Happy birthday Sara! 💕💜💕 5y
saresmoore @batsy Thank you, Suba! 💞 5y
saresmoore @Centique Thank you, Paula! ❤️ 5y
Lindy Belated birthday wishes! 🎂 ⭐️ 🐠 5y
Suet624 Jeepers. I always think your birthday is in June. I hope you had a lovely one. 5y
69 likes18 comments
review
sisilia
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Pickpick

4⭐️ I love this! Reading this novel really feels like listening to my parents sharing their wisdoms about life 😆 So many quotable phrases that I will definitely revisit. Excellent translation by Canaan Morse, too!
#NYRBBookClub

Hooked_on_books Great cover 5y
merelybookish I haven't started yet but glad to see a positive review! 5y
61 likes2 comments
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sisilia
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46 likes1 comment
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Suet624
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My #NYRBbookclub May selection arrived today from Better World Books. I was all kinds of delighted. It apparently originally came from Strand Book Store and is an autographed copy. There was nothing in the description stating it was autographed! All for $5.

erzascarletbookgasm 😍 lucky you! 5y
squirrelbrain What luck! ❤️ 5y
batsy Score! 🙌🏽 5y
See All 9 Comments
saresmoore Woohoo! 5y
merelybookish Score! 5y
vivastory Nice! 5y
kspenmoll The cover is lovely too! 5y
Suet624 @kspenmoll it is, isn‘t it? 5y
sisilia This is awesome! 5y
56 likes9 comments
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GatheringBooks
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#BloomingBibliophiles Day 24: Our #NYRBBookClub pick for May has a mighty #colorful cover. Borrowed an e-book version from Singapore NLB‘s overdrive, which I still get to access, thanks to beautiful bibliophile friends.

OriginalCyn620 📚👍🏻💙 5y
vivastory I will most likely be getting the e-book too. Yes, it's a colorful cover! 5y
66 likes2 comments
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Leftcoastzen
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#bookmail is the best mail ! Powells had to lay off over 300 people when the stores closed down .They hired 100 back to process orders that came in , slowed by social distancing, I get it , I want them to stay safe.Read a great review of Picture, the tagged book is #NYRBbookclub May selection.I was obsessed (years ago) with Barthelme thought I‘d check out the biography, affordable because it‘s used , glad it‘s in nice shape.Tom Toms butt , NEC.

sisilia Wow, I didn‘t know that Powell is that big! 5y
Leftcoastzen @sisilia the main store is multiple rooms and floors , I believe there are 5 smaller locations, and mail order.Portlanders can correct me if I‘m wrong .New , used & a rare book room , amazing place. 5y
sisilia I hope to visit Portland one day 🤞🏻😻 5y
Leftcoastzen @sisilia It is a great city and if you love books Powells is heaven! 5y
47 likes4 comments
review
Chelseylovestoread
Mehso-so

A weird, quick story. I was confused mostly, but also ended up enjoying it.

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Chelseylovestoread
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And that's how you end a story.

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shawnmooney
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A NYRB Classics Original, a newly translated contemporary Chinese novel.

38 likes2 stack adds