By Imogen Hartley · The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
A sweeping Vietnamese epic told across the 20th century by grandmother and granddaughter. Bring page numbers if you have them, but vibes are welcome too.
Our little side-thread on the middle section was the best part of the month. Structurally it reminded me of last spring's pick, but warmer. Bumping the author's backlist to the top of my stack.
❤️ 96
I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. The prose does that trick where it's plain until suddenly it isn't. Would happily do a re-read discussion next year.
❤️ 67
Second read for me, and it's a different book the second time. I loved how little it explains itself. One of my favourites from the archive.
❤️ 67
I annotated so heavily the margins ran out. The pacing wobbles in the third quarter but the payoff earns it. Thanks to everyone who posted here — made the read twice as good.
❤️ 106
Second read for me, and it's a different book the second time. Whoever flagged the recurring water imagery — thank you, I can't unsee it now. Solid four stars, and a full five for the ending.
❤️ 67
I annotated so heavily the margins ran out. There's a generosity in how the author treats even the awful characters. Still thinking about that final line.
❤️ 96
Read it out loud to my partner in the evenings — highly recommend that way. The dialogue is doing about four jobs at once. Already lent my copy out twice.
❤️ 57
I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. Every scene has a door in it. Someone in chat pointed that out and I lost my mind. Five stars from me.
❤️ 96
Our little side-thread on the middle section was the best part of the month. Structurally it reminded me of last spring's pick, but warmer. Bumping the author's backlist to the top of my stack.
❤️ 57
This is the pick that made me rejoin the club, honestly. Every scene has a door in it. Someone in chat pointed that out and I lost my mind. Would happily do a re-read discussion next year.
❤️ 106
I annotated so heavily the margins ran out. The pacing wobbles in the third quarter but the payoff earns it. Thanks to everyone who posted here — made the read twice as good.
❤️ 213
Perfect winter read. Or summer. Or any month, apparently. Whoever flagged the recurring water imagery — thank you, I can't unsee it now. One of my favourites from the archive.
❤️ 252
This is the pick that made me rejoin the club, honestly. Every scene has a door in it. Someone in chat pointed that out and I lost my mind. Would happily do a re-read discussion next year.
❤️ 252
Our little side-thread on the middle section was the best part of the month. Structurally it reminded me of last spring's pick, but warmer. Bumping the author's backlist to the top of my stack.
❤️ 203
I annotated so heavily the margins ran out. The pacing wobbles in the third quarter but the payoff earns it. Five stars from me.
❤️ 203
Our little side-thread on the middle section was the best part of the month. It's a quiet book with a very loud ending. Already lent my copy out twice.
❤️ 242
I annotated so heavily the margins ran out. There's a generosity in how the author treats even the awful characters. Still thinking about that final line.
❤️ 203
Perfect winter read. Or summer. Or any month, apparently. The dialogue is doing about four jobs at once. Solid four stars, and a full five for the ending.
❤️ 252
This is the pick that made me rejoin the club, honestly. The secondary characters carry more weight than they get credit for. Thanks to everyone who posted here — made the read twice as good.
❤️ 213
The structure is the argument here, and I don't think I clocked that until the discussion. Structurally it reminded me of last spring's pick, but warmer. One of my favourites from the archive.
❤️ 252
