Review: A beautiful book
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2014
This is a beautifully-written book by a highly literate author who has a respect for the written word. No gimmicks, no hype, nothing that's cheap about the all-important subject of coming of age...how refreshing! Reading the chapter titles alone is stimulating, because you get a glimpse of the structure of the book without being told the exact details (which of course, entices you to want to see how the story plays outs).The realism of the book draws the reader in effortlessly. The journey is epic and dramatic without being formulaic or repetitious. There are many poignant lines throughout the content too, which give the book added depth and insight. I think the following line (from one of the chapters in The Same Moon) describes the book very well: "Life was no film set, and there was no script." I particularly enjoyed Chapter Five: The Courtship for its unabashed view on "the dating game."As someone who enjoys culture and travelling, this book was certainly a treat. The strength of books like these is that they remind discerning readers how literature is differentiated from the film medium. While the latter tends to be more impressive in terms of 'visuals', good literature is intimate because it engages the reader through a one-on-one experience. That is one of the things I enjoy the most about reading, which The Same Moon delivers.