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nicole_reads_everything's review against another edition
3.0
Around the World Reading Challenge: MONGOLIA
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3.5 rounded down
This was an interesting semi-autobiographical read detailing a fictionalized account of the author's childhood growing up a nomadic tribe in northern Mongolia. The prose here felt quite distinct, as did the narration coming from the POV of a young boy. I found it really interesting to learn more about what life was like during this time period in Mongolia for the Tuvan people, but I was never entirely immersed in the story. I also hadn't realized that this is the first in a trilogy (only the first two of which have been translated into English) and the book ends rather abruptly in a way that didn't feel entirely satisfying. I'm all for a good open ending, but this just sort of stopped in a way that made me think I was somehow missing a chapter.
===
3.5 rounded down
This was an interesting semi-autobiographical read detailing a fictionalized account of the author's childhood growing up a nomadic tribe in northern Mongolia. The prose here felt quite distinct, as did the narration coming from the POV of a young boy. I found it really interesting to learn more about what life was like during this time period in Mongolia for the Tuvan people, but I was never entirely immersed in the story. I also hadn't realized that this is the first in a trilogy (only the first two of which have been translated into English) and the book ends rather abruptly in a way that didn't feel entirely satisfying. I'm all for a good open ending, but this just sort of stopped in a way that made me think I was somehow missing a chapter.
cvhhvc123's review against another edition
1.0
Read around the world: Mongolia
AR 1.5
It was so hard to find a book translated from Mongolian, I feel bad for not enjoying it.
AR 1.5
It was so hard to find a book translated from Mongolian, I feel bad for not enjoying it.
liviaroseo's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
aibautista21's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
siria's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
A fictionalised account of the author's childhood in 1950s Mongolia, The Blue Sky is at its best when Galsan Tschinag is both showing us the rich texture of nomadic daily life and how much the child narrator doesn't understand about what's going on around him. As a Soviet satellite, mid-20th-century Mongolia underwent a process of livestock collectivisation and political purges, and passing references to "kulaks" clues in the reader to what the narrator's parents are so worried about. The pacing is slow, but occasionally feels too deliberately so, and the ending smacks too much of "Book 1 of 3." Still, the writing is often beautifully evocative, and the build up to the ending works very well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
__sam__'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
sabinaleybold's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5