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I'm very thankful that this book came with a character list otherwise I would have given up on it. There are a lot of characters and dynamic, complex relationship and family structures in this read.

It's a slow read, but you will definitely learn a lot about Chinese culture. Julie's character was well-developed, but I was just left feeling sad for her throughout most of this book.

This took me a while to get into, due to the style of writing. It felt very distanced and remote, plus there are so many odd relationships that I kept having to refer to the character list at the back of the book. (And then I still didn‘t understand… how can your Mum also be your third Auntie?! 🤣)

I‘m giving it a soft pick as I did find it fascinating learning about a different culture. Thank you for sending it to me @BarbaraBB 😘

A #nyrb classic #translated from Chinese. I didn‘t enjoy this one very much. It was interesting learning about the culture and society in China in the 1940s and 50s, but the book jumped around in time a lot and was rather slow. I didn‘t realize this was #publishedposthumously till I read the introduction, but I am happy to be able to count it for the #readharder challenge. #nyrbclassics

between a pick & a so-so for me. It was a slow read, but I ended up enjoying it. I was convinced I was missing important cultural information. If I knew more about chinese culture, I would have understood the book better, I think. The perils of literature in translation, I guess. I had a hard time keeping all the relationships straight and that was with a cheat sheet! Not so much a war story as about family and relationships. 3.5 🌟 🌟🌟

1. A "dark romance" set against the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong.
2. Almost anything with chocolate.
3. As I get older, people try to tell me I'm the very very last tail end of the boomers. I feel more gen-x though.
4. Bottle of germ-x. Colds & more colds season at my house.
5. Headed to a friend's house to watch the super bowl. Her 2 young boys are football cra-azy and wanted to invite my husband and I over for a party. ? ???

The translator for Little Reunions had quite the task, because it isn't just the words but a complex family structure and intricate layers of meaning behind gestures and comments. But to read a "romance" of sorts set in Shanghai right before the Communist Revolution is a very specific capture of a moment in time. First time in English, comes out January 16 from NYRB ... (eARC from publisher) #litsypartyofone