Amazon review: It's been 11 years since Junot Díaz's critically acclaimed story collection, Drown, landed on bookshelves and from page one of his debut novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, any worries of a sophomore jinx disappear. The titular Oscar is a 300-pound-plus "lovesick ghetto nerd" with zero game (except for Dungeons & Dragons) who cranks out pages of fantasy fiction with the hopes of becoming a Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien. The book is also the story of a multi-generational family curse that courses through the book, leaving troubles and tragedy in its wake. This was the most dynamic, entertaining, and achingly heartfelt novel I've read in a long time. My head is still buzzing with the memory of dozens of killer passages that I dog-eared throughout the book. The rope-a-dope narrative is funny, hip, tragic, soulful, and bursting with desire. Make some room for Oscar Wao on your bookshelf--you won't be disappointed.
Note: If you haven't started this one yet, you might not get through it before the meeting - but don't let that stop you! The first section is the best anyway, and will give you more than enough to discuss over some Death by Chocolate or a Shanghai Mei Mei cocktail.
Brian Tan's Puxi venue, a dessert slash wine lounge, offers House of Flour's amazing chocolate cake, and a few new utterly delicious creations like Chocolate Sinan Lu (we'll leave you to find the surprise), and a heavenly chocolate mousse cake with buttery crunchies inside. If you're in a salty mood, go for bacon wrapped prune tapas or the scrumptious RMB98 cheese plate. HoF offers wine, tapas, gelato, coffee, tasty designer cocktails and truffles in addition to dessert. CityWeekend
Read Dolls review here.
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Comments
Did you see that we've now got a direct link to our book club forum?! Under 'Groups'.. Reading Dolls... So much easier!
See you on Tuesday,
Jen
There is a new one just below the Pearl Tower in Lujiazui. Yes a few of us live in the East!!