Customer Reviews

Night of Many Dreams: A Novel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Night of Many Dreams is the story of two Chinese sisters, Joan and Emma, growing up in Hong Kong during and after World War II. Their mother is a traditional Chinese woman who wants to pair them up with respected and successful husbands; their father runs a business that keeps him in Japan the bulk of the time; and their Auntie Go runs a successful knitting factory and has never married. During the course of the book, they flee the Japanese occupation to the nearby Portuguese island of Macao, return to Hong Kong to start over again, and gradually return to prosperity. The book focuses on the two daughters, both of them strong and independent in different ways, and how they each find their own way. With the mother and aunt as role models, we expect that Joan, the beautiful one, will find a good husband, and Emma, the smart one, will pursue a career. In the end, though, they each make choices that suit their personality without necessarily fulfilling the expectations others had of them.

Like Tsukiyama's Women of the Silk, this book is nicely written and gives a good sense of the culture and values during this time in Hong Kong. I liked this one a little better than Silk, though, because it had a broader array of interesting characters and I felt I came to understand them better, especially Auntie Go, Joan & Emma. Both Joan and Emma seem to grow and learn from their experiences, and I enjoyed seeing how each of them would handle some of the difficult choices they faced. I like how Tsukiyama creates strong female characters who find their own way within their culture, subtly challenging the status quo but without explicitly rejecting the system. I don't know enough about that area's history to know how realistic the story is, but I hope it is plausible.

NIGHT OF MANY DREAMS by Gail Tsukiyama
January 21, 2008

Rating 3.5/5 stars

I think this is the third Tsukiyama book I've read and so far the least favorite. It is the story of a Chinese family living in Hong Kong before the start of W.W.II and the communist takeover of China. The story is written from various viewpoints - Emma, the youngest sister who is studious and bright; Joan, the older sister, who only wants to be an actress; and Auntie Go, their mother's sister who runs a knitting factory and never married.

What I found lacking in this novel was any clear direction of where the story should be going, except that of a family's story from 1940 through 1965. The reader will watch the two girls grow up in Hong Kong, will learn about the family history, in particular that of Auntie Go but also that of the girls' parents. I think the highlight of the story were the years during W.W.II, when the Japanese took over Hong Kong and the Chinese and British subjects that remained in Hong Kong lived in fear. The writing during this part of the book felt more solid, and I actually felt something for the characters at this point. What I also enjoyed about the story were the details of their lives, from living with loyal servants, to their years in Macao where they waited out the war years in safety.

I think my opinions of this book will probably be in the minority, but I really was looking forward to a much better written book. There was definitely something lacking, and while I enjoyed the story in general, I didn't connect with any of the characters, except possibly Auntie Go. This wont' stop me from continuing to read Tsukiyama's books, however. NIGHT OF MANY DREAMS gets a marginal recommendation.

To speak of the truth, I was initially attracted to the book because of its shimmering cover. Little did I realize that something more exciting awaited me. The moment I start flipping the pages, I was hooked. The lives of Emma and Joan had me so captivated. Though the lives they lead were not exactly riveting, it felt real to me. I could relate to how they were feeling especially when Emma was in America all by herself. I felt like I know her and reading her encounters in America brought back memories for myself. Also, how the characters' lives in the book were all interwined makes me view family ties in a different light. The unconditional love Joan had for Emma, Emma had for Joan, Auntie Go's love for her nieces and the girls' mother who loved them in her own unique way touched my heart. The story also shed light on the bond between Emma and her friend in Macau. Absence only makes the hearts grow fonder. The bond they shared was incredible. I also admire Joan's wits and bravery in the beginning of the novel whereby she, a teenager had to collect debts on the behalf of her father and the clever tactics she used to handle tricky debtors. I like the way Gail Tsukiyama depicts the courage of the girls regardless of how adverse the circumstances may be. There are two unexpected twists to the story. A good read for those who prefers simplicity and a slow, relaxing read for all the ideas to sink in. More for the gals out there, definitely!

I've read all of Tsukiyama's books and found them to be all excellent! This book was wonderfully written and left me wanting the book never to end. I found myself glued to the book and pulled in by the characters. This book also gives you an insight to what Hong Kong was like the 1940's and 1950's.

I can't even remember why I bought this book -- I just happened upon it last week, and once I started reading it, I quickly got sucked into the stories of these women's lives. I read some of the of other comments regarding this book -- that's it's not "historical" and that it doesn't represented men well (except Emma's husband). While this is true, I don't think this is a hinderance at all. Tsukiyama tells a really good story, it's a good read, and you end up caring about the characters immensely. It's a story about women's lives -- and the differences between them. While history does play a part in the plot, it's not the center piece. History doesn't drive the plot, per se, but the different relationships and the difference experiences between daughters and mothers and aunts and, yes, even men drive the plot. I would highly recommend this book if you just want to escape for awhile. You might even see a little bit of yourself in one of these women, and you might even learn a bit more about the women that touch your life.

Just be prepared for the ending. It's tragic, but it completes the circle as well. I think this is when all the women in the story really learn about themselves, if they hadn't before.

A story different than Woman of the Silk and The Language of Threads that continues with the themes of independence and self sufficiency. Tsukiyama's style is true and this book is also written in her simplistic, beautiful, prose.

Perhaps this story was a bit more predictable than her previous works, but I enjoyed it just as much. Tsukiyama has inspired me to read more about China, its culture, and women.

Though the book was written from the perspective of several of the main characters, I never felt that I got to know them. The book seemed to go from event to event in a hurried fashion. The story line was interesting, but lacked depth. The Samurai's Garden is a much better read.

I was recommended to this book by a friend, and before that, I had never even heard of the author. The plot wasn't intricate nor breathtaking, nor is it the psychological workings of the characters violently stirring. This story of Emma and the years of her childhood to adulthood set with the scenes of boisterous Hong Kong, friendly Macao, and abroad in San Francisco could only be depicted with a style of such grace and candor. Whenever I feel like a rest from the rush of this world, I would pick up another book by Tsukiyama and allow the lightness of her beautiful writing life me up.

Gail Tsukiyama's Night of Many Dreams is a story of the experiences of two Hong Kong sisters. Emma, the younger sister, always valued independence. Joan, the older sister, always felt confused because she didn't know what she wanted to become. They were different in many ways but got along well. Their experiences during World War 2 and their personality make Emma and Joan take different path in their adult life. Emma chose to a new life in America. Joan chose a hard life in Chinese movie industry. Through these experiences, they both learned how much family meant to them.
This is a sad story because many people die. I felt my eyes were wet with tears. I had a friend who wasn't able to continue reading because it was such a sad story. I rarely cry while reading books. I think it's the way Tsukiyama has constructed the sentences and mood.
I read many of her other books and I noticed a pattern. Most of the stories are sad because many of the characters had to deal with disease or death of someone, but they don't always end unhappily ever after. Many tend to find hope (This holds true for this book.) in the end and that's what I like about her books. I recommend this book, if you like sad stories with not that sad ending.

This is a book that will leave you crying at the end. Maybe out of sadness, maybe out of joy, maybe for some untouched human emotion. Six very different members of my family read it...each one having the same reaction. An absolutely joy to read...peaceful, evoking, calming.