The Girl Who Played Go
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
As the Japanese military invades 1930s Manchuria, a young girl approaches her own sexual coming of age. Drawn into a complex triangle with two boys, she distracts herself from the onslaught of adulthood by playing the game of go with strangers in a public square--and yet the force of desire, like the occupation, proves inevitable. Unbeknownst to the girl who plays go, her most worthy and frequent opponent is a Japanese soldier in disguise. Captivated by her beauty as much as by her bold, unpredictable approach to the strategy game, the soldier finds his loyalties challenged. Is there room on the path to war for that most revolutionary of acts: falling in love?
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There is a lot going on under the surface of this novel that I know I missed, because I don't know anything about the game of go or Chinese and Japanese history and literature. Themes of violence, battle and war, honor, and the constricted lives of women are present in this story of a Japanese soldier and a young Chinese girl meeting in a Manchurian town over a game of go. Although the book is almost 300 pages, chapters are short, spare and quick to read. I finished it in 2 days. This solemn story will stay with me for a while.
the pov of the girl was leagues better, as i struggled to even tolerate the guy's. kind of boring and as you can see, i don't even remember the character's names (if they were even mentioned). not sure if we were supposed to like the male character since he is the main love interest, but i could barely stand him. i did not like any of the men in the book now that I think about it. however, it did a good job in putting you in the mind of an imperialistic japanese soldier, and if you're interested in history, you might find some enjoyment in this weirdo.
