Riddles of Belief and Love is the Chinese "Gone With the Wind". It is a three generation saga populated by fully developed characters whose traits and lives will be easily engaging to the reader. Western readers familiar with the work of Pearl S. Buck will find the earthy tone and beautifully translated language engrossing. Old Town
Since many have written on the plot of this excellent historical journey through several generations of two Chinese families, I would just like to reiterate that the book is truly a worthwhile read. The characters had a Dickensian type of appeal in that the reader got to know them from their idiosyncrasies, expressions and attitudes throughout their lives. I felt like I got to know them and truly cared about them and most importantly, understood the reasons they did the things they did. I feel like this strong characterization speaks volumes about an author since so many novels consist of a strong plot with cardboard characters that the reader could care less about. Getting to know the characters made me understand the Chinese culture better and interested in learning more about Chinese history. I especially enjoyed the witty sense of humor employed throughout the book even in the most trying circumstances. I hope to see more of Lin Zhe's novels translated in the future.
On every page there is a reference to Christianity. This is fine for those who enjoy that type of writing. But not everyone does and this story has little plot, little culture, little politics, and a whole lot of Christianity. Don't expect a good story as the other reviewers indicated. Very, very sorry I purchased this and wish there was a way to get my money back on principle. Of course, if more Kindle books end up being this way, I'll stop using Amazon. I really feel swindled here.
I enthusiastically recommend `Riddles of Belief...and Love: A Story'. The themes in this book struck home for me in a deep and surprisingly personal way. I'm reminded that any story about family history appeals to the widest possible audience, because we all have families - full of individuals, some more lovable and reliable than others, some more resilient and flexible in the face of life's and history's challenges. What are the qualities that allow one person to succeed when times are good and survive when disaster overcomes, yet another fails no matter what the situation? How can some people maintain their dignity and integrity under duress, while others surrender or drift into dissolution? What duties do we owe to all the branches and stems of our personal family tree...and them to us? These are questions to which answers can never be nailed down, because the contract is in daily renegotiation and the rules themselves are always in flux. Seeing how these issues play out in the context of a Chinese society undergoing massive, sometimes sudden and traumatic upheaval in the 20th century is truly an eye-opener.
`Riddles of Belief...and Love' is also a story about the nation of China deliberately, desperately trying to hammer itself into something new on an anvil of ideology and opportunism. The clash between Marxist historical self-loathing and a proud, ancient culture and between socialist centralization and the 21st century global economy has often been described by academics. And, over the decades, we have all followed from afar news accounts of wrenching government policies and social movements on the Chinese mainland. However, this ambitious novel offers something revelatory - an account of how all those events affected ordinary people in the ways they lived and loved. It is also fascinating to realize that differences between the generations in China - in attitudes, ambitions, and expectations - in some ways mirror those in the West, with their accompanying effects on family cohesion and national character.
However, the principal strength of this story is how it illuminates the internal struggles of the main characters as they adapt to the changes around them, within a context of spirituality. This book takes seriously lives lived in reliance on religious faith. That faith (devout Christianity) waxes, wanes, and warps under pressure, and its continuance into the future is as fragile as old customs and pieties from China's Confucian past. Nevertheless, it is a central pillar that supports the story's principal protagonists and guides their interpretation of the bewildering forces that whiplash them. It is rare that the role of religious faith is portrayed with such unsentimental and clear-eyed sympathy.
`Riddles of Belief...and Love: A Story' reads smoothly in the translation by Mr. Fowler. The story is told from the viewpoint of a modern-day Chinese woman who has lived in the US, so the language is contemporary, with flavorings of older Chinese speaking styles where appropriate. Buy the book and immerse yourself in another world. I did, and I'm grateful for the journey.'
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