Guo Xiaolu

Advantages: Cleverly written, witty, great cultural insight
Disadvantages: Perhaps too much sex for some!

...alien for a relationship? This book has been in the news quite a lot recently because it is included as an entry into the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction. As soon as I saw the blurb, I knew I was going to love it. At the tender age of 20, I jetted off for China, where I remained on and off for eleven years. Like Z, I grew up and matured abroad, like Z, I know what it is like to be a foreigner in a country that is totally alien and like Z, I constantly carried around a concise English-Chinese/Chinese-English dictionary during my first months in China! I have also read a previous book by Guo Xiaolu, called A Village of Stone, which was fantastic. For once, despite my high expectations, my enjoyment of this book was totally fulfilled. I particularly liked the writing style of this book, which is very different from A Village of Stone... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Vividly written, powerful story
Disadvantages: None

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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A cultural and historical revelation; Fabulous insight into relationships between women and mothers and daughters
Disadvantages: The novel ends too soon!

...Well, I have been busy reading recently and have found some real gems of novels, which truly deserve to be more renowned than they are. Alas, from the pen of Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) I’ve just finished reading The Kitchen God’s Wife. Let me explain this rather obscure title. In China there are many gods representing many different things: Money gods, Love gods to name a couple. The Kitchen God, according to one of our narrators of the novel, originates from a story from China about a farmer named Zhang. Zhang was married to a hardworking wife named Guo. Because of her hard work, his farm thrived, but despite this Zhang was not contented. He one day brought home a beautiful woman called Lady Li and ordered his wife to cook for her, whilst he had a bit on the side (if you know what I mean). Lady Li eventually drove Zhang... Read review

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