Art of Hearing Heartbeats, The
Sendker, Jan-PhilippIn search of her father who disappeared four years earlier, American lawyer Julia Win travels to Burma. There in a remote village the mystery of her father's life is slowly unravelled.
From upscale New York to rural Burma, this is a poignant tale of tender romance, personal sacrifice and the stark contrast between East and West. Poetic in style, mystical in nature. Translated from German. [Larger font]
Comments from Groups
Beautiful, beautiful book - amazing that a German author (translated) worked so well. Auckland 166 Mixed feelings about this one but everyone agreed it was beautifully written. Auckland 309 Summed up as 'an Asian spiritual fairytale'... The contrast between East and West and the love story at the heart of it were the main points of discussion. Wellington 153 Our group enjoyed this easy-to-read escapist love story. It was rather 'magical' in that one had to suspend belief that events would have occurred as written. Wellington 018 The many facets of the story were sensitively, even delicately told, and the overall ambience was one of serenity and beauty. Cambridge 002
Pages
325
325
Year
2002
2002
Reviews
26-09-2022
We were captivated by the book. The writing was delicate and imagery transported us into a world we didnt know.
25-08-2021
We all loved this book. One said she felt serene when she finished reading. Liked the treatment of death. Translator did great job. We discussed the future for Julia (daughter).
11-11-2019
We thoroughly enjoyed this book. Many insights into sight impaired lives and beautifully written (translated). Some sad spots in the book but well worth reading.
24-09-2018
Another great read. It really forces you to take a look at yourself and assess what is really important in life. A beautiful yet sad story.
24-09-2018
Clever translation from German to English, giving an excellent sense of life in Burma. The relationships between the characters prompted great discussion, and there was some thought that the character Jules was a contrivance, and unnecessary. General pleasure at the telling of a wonderful love story.
24-09-2018
A romantic tale about two unlikely characters. Slightly far-fetched, but still an enjoyable read. Beautifully written.
24-09-2018
We all absolutely LOVED this book. "So tenderly written; a great love story; very poetic passages" were all comments from the group. We were very glad to have had the opportunity to read it as we would not have chosen it from the library.
24-09-2018
We loved this unanimously, which is unusual for us! A beautiful love story with the perfect amount of 'magical'.
24-09-2018
All enjoyed the book. There was a need to suspend belief and read the book as a fairy tale, but it was a beautifully written and translated novel. The writing was gentle and sensitive and traumatic events just wafted over the reader. Some felt there were flaws in the plot and with the characters, but it didn't destroy the read.
24-09-2018
This book divided the group into those who loved it and those who did not. Those of us who enjoyed it appreciated the writing style, the magic and the romanticism. Some struggled with the setting and found it unrealistic, and not representative of the country or the people. Others embraced the spiritualism and enjoyed the underlying story of love and resilience.
05-07-2018
All of the group enjoyed this book. However, some found it a bit slow and all agreed there were several glaring plot holes which bothered some more than others. We liked the core of the story, and thought it a nice gentle read.
22-06-2018
We loved this book. It had a magical feel to it. Enchanting read.
07-05-2018
A slow start to the story but we all finished it and most really enjoyed it. Interesting insights into another culture but some questions were left unanswered. Recommend it for great discussion.