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A review by wingreads
The Funeral Cryer: A Novel by Wenyan Lu
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"There were stories and secrets that I would never have heard if I wasn't a funeral crier"
The Funeral Cryer is employed to cry, sing and emote at will during the local funerals she is employed to do so; this is a cultural practice in some Chinese provinces. However there is a lot of stigma attached; her friends, The Husband, The daughter utilises this to drift away, scorn and display dismay towards her.
Little to no names are used in this story; within Chinese culture, names are often ascribed based on parents aspirations for their child, their family or what is auspicious. I found this refreshing as it focuses on the plot and behaviours of the characters.
I raged at the Husband, and wanted to nudge the Funeral Cryer to leave him and began a new life with the mysterious Barber. I loved her comebacks and the incremental push backs and acts of resistance to the Husband.
I really enjoyed the dark and wry retelling of a woman during her mid-life, where her rich inner world acts as a buffer to the daily mundane reality and alienation within a small village. This is a fantastic story by a very underated author @wenyanlu.
The Funeral Cryer is employed to cry, sing and emote at will during the local funerals she is employed to do so; this is a cultural practice in some Chinese provinces. However there is a lot of stigma attached; her friends, The Husband, The daughter utilises this to drift away, scorn and display dismay towards her.
Little to no names are used in this story; within Chinese culture, names are often ascribed based on parents aspirations for their child, their family or what is auspicious. I found this refreshing as it focuses on the plot and behaviours of the characters.
I raged at the Husband, and wanted to nudge the Funeral Cryer to leave him and began a new life with the mysterious Barber. I loved her comebacks and the incremental push backs and acts of resistance to the Husband.
I really enjoyed the dark and wry retelling of a woman during her mid-life, where her rich inner world acts as a buffer to the daily mundane reality and alienation within a small village. This is a fantastic story by a very underated author @wenyanlu.