Negative Positive
Title: Fascinating
Review: You have to be ready for this one and know what you're getting into. I especially enjoy Old China books. What a great culture. As many as I've read, this one was different. It is a translation yet keeps the Chinese vernacular and takes place during a period which transcends between the old Confucious teaching and the new thoughts. There is no hero or central character. It is about the process of becoming a scholar and the status of the stages in doing so. The various characters, and there are many, are in tune only to their own kind - not their moral attributes but their level on the learning ladder. They reach these levels with intense study and taking the tests of each of the levels. Only few are chosen and not necessarily the best, depending on the judging. Again, it is fascinating because it is different. Just don't expect a story of plots and heros. Know what you are getting.
Is the review positive or negative? 