Malcolm Bosse (1926–2002)

I thought this might be an interesting book. After all, a historical novel set in China during the 1920s and 1930s could be rather interesting. The writing style was so horrible that I gave up after about 5 pages. It was written in present tense, which is a valid approach, but this was so stilted as to seem false.

I gave the book another chance a week or so later, jumping into its middle. Again the horrible writing style turned me off so much that I dropped out after only a page or two.

This book claims to be an addition to the canon of Asian-saga novels such as those of James Clavell (three or four of whose books I've read and enjoyed thoroughly), but given the horrible writing style, that bit of flack is very much *not even remotely* true. It saddens me that marketing charlatans get paid to write such crap on book covers. Like all professional liars, they deserve public flogging.… (more)