Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Waiting by Ha Jin



Occassionally, I'd blindly pick up a book just so I don't end up reading the same type of books over and over again. I gave Waiting a chance as it belonged to Vintage's line of Asian authors. What's evident about the novel is how Ha Jin's writing style is starkly different from Western authors. The story begins in medias res and we witness the love story (or lack of it) of a reluctant man. As can be derived from the title, the theme of the novel is waiting, and it recurs throughout the entire book, even getting philosophical at times. While the text is relatively easy to read, the subject matter can get dragging at times, even if the novel really isn't that long. Waiting is a very peculiar love story and while it's not a book I'll read again, I can't say that buying it was a waste of money.

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