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Journey to the West #2
Trials of Life
This thought-provoking novel is the sequel to The Same Moon, as we continue to follow Pearl in her education and cultural adaptation to the UK, with snapshots of her memories of China. It is about transition, from East to West. It deals with clashes of culture, sexual harassment, bullying and falling in love. The story is told in the voices of different characters, painting a full picture of events.
It begins with a love story - Pearl meets Andrew Church and they fall in love. After Pearl gets a job at a UK university, she soon finds out that her senior colleague Dick Appleton does not welcome her. When Dick discovers that Pearl has a secret mission, he seizes the opportunity and decides to use it to his full advantage. After all, Dick has a privileged upbringing, having gone to the world-famous institution Oxford University, and enjoys a wonderful lifestyle.
While Dick fights to protect his reputation and standing, Pearl seeks justice. How can she battle against the powerful machine behind the big men? Would real life teach Pearl a lesson that there is really no perfect justice in this world? Or does the ancient Chinese belief hold true that everything happens for a reason? Is it fate or simply the trials of life?
It begins with a love story - Pearl meets Andrew Church and they fall in love. After Pearl gets a job at a UK university, she soon finds out that her senior colleague Dick Appleton does not welcome her. When Dick discovers that Pearl has a secret mission, he seizes the opportunity and decides to use it to his full advantage. After all, Dick has a privileged upbringing, having gone to the world-famous institution Oxford University, and enjoys a wonderful lifestyle.
While Dick fights to protect his reputation and standing, Pearl seeks justice. How can she battle against the powerful machine behind the big men? Would real life teach Pearl a lesson that there is really no perfect justice in this world? Or does the ancient Chinese belief hold true that everything happens for a reason? Is it fate or simply the trials of life?
444 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2011
271 people want to read
About the author
Junying Kirk
3 books89 followersJunying Kirk was born a Spice girl from Sichuan Province in China. In the summer of 1988, a British Council scholarship led her to study English Language Teaching in the UK, which eventually adopted her. She has worked as an academic, administrator, researcher, teacher, professional interpreter, international partnerships manager and cultural consultant. She is passionate about reading & writing, and world travel. Her 'Journey to the West' trilogy, 'The Same Moon', 'Trials of Life' and 'Land of Hope' have been published both elctronically and in print. Currently she is writing the first book of her second trilogy: "Journey to the East". She lives in Birmingham, UK with her English husband.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 22, 2016
I spent a good while reading this book and returned to it many times to re-read passages and think about what I'd read. It stirred up many emotions because the situations were very authentic and reminded me a lot of my own life.
Although it's a novel and the events are fictionalised, it has the feel of a documentary. There is a fly-on-the-wall realism about it, giving us slices of the characters' lives. As the title suggests, these lives do not run smoothly. There are upsets and problems.
Conflict is necessary in a novel. It is exciting to see characters bumping up against obstacles and each other. It shows us what they are made of. And it is exhilarating to see them winning through.
But because of the documentary style of this novel, you have a sense that not all the conflicts will end happily. In life conflicts can be messy. There often are no real solutions to a problem. People go on annoying us. Bad people persist in their bad behaviour. We get distressed and traumatised and have nervous breakdowns as a result.
In Trials of Life, the situations are all too real and I felt real anger and real frustration in response to what was happening on the page. There are scenes and characters that I recognise only too well. Scenes such as when Dick Appleton is boasting of how he gave his Chinese minders the slip in Xian. He managed, he says, to spend the night in the sleazy part of the city where he saw teahouses packed with prostitutes. Naturally, the Chinese officials would not have wanted that.
But there is a certain way foreigners talk about the Chinese government that makes a Chinese person grind their teeth in frustration. There is a shallowness and arrogance to them in the face of which you are completely helpless. You have no choice but to let them persist in their ignorance while letting them believe that they are superior and you are the stupid one.
Chinese people are not hoodwinked by their government. We know that China is not perfect. But foreigners often believe that they know what goes on in China far better than we do because they are not 'brainwashed'. They are experts by virtue of being outsiders.
Being reminded of this is in dialogue that is all too authentic stirred up very real emotions in me. But Dick Appleton, I should stress, is a particularly villainous character. He is not your typical foreigner. He is rotten to the core.
A large part of the book is focused on an employment tribunal and the events leading up to it. We learn in bitter detail what kind of a man Dick is and what Pearl suffers at his hands. But I have to give credit to Pearl and to the author of this book, Junying Kirk. Pearl challenges Dick. She faces her demons and Junying faced hers, I am sure, in writing this book.
It is a stirring story that must draw on very personal experiences. It is free from artifice. Sincerity is in every line. It succeeds in documenting with great accuracy the trials and also the triumphs of an academic life split across two very different continents. Anyone who reads it can't fail to be moved. And it will, I hope, allow English-speaking readers to get a better grasp of what it means to be Chinese.
Although it's a novel and the events are fictionalised, it has the feel of a documentary. There is a fly-on-the-wall realism about it, giving us slices of the characters' lives. As the title suggests, these lives do not run smoothly. There are upsets and problems.
Conflict is necessary in a novel. It is exciting to see characters bumping up against obstacles and each other. It shows us what they are made of. And it is exhilarating to see them winning through.
But because of the documentary style of this novel, you have a sense that not all the conflicts will end happily. In life conflicts can be messy. There often are no real solutions to a problem. People go on annoying us. Bad people persist in their bad behaviour. We get distressed and traumatised and have nervous breakdowns as a result.
In Trials of Life, the situations are all too real and I felt real anger and real frustration in response to what was happening on the page. There are scenes and characters that I recognise only too well. Scenes such as when Dick Appleton is boasting of how he gave his Chinese minders the slip in Xian. He managed, he says, to spend the night in the sleazy part of the city where he saw teahouses packed with prostitutes. Naturally, the Chinese officials would not have wanted that.
But there is a certain way foreigners talk about the Chinese government that makes a Chinese person grind their teeth in frustration. There is a shallowness and arrogance to them in the face of which you are completely helpless. You have no choice but to let them persist in their ignorance while letting them believe that they are superior and you are the stupid one.
Chinese people are not hoodwinked by their government. We know that China is not perfect. But foreigners often believe that they know what goes on in China far better than we do because they are not 'brainwashed'. They are experts by virtue of being outsiders.
Being reminded of this is in dialogue that is all too authentic stirred up very real emotions in me. But Dick Appleton, I should stress, is a particularly villainous character. He is not your typical foreigner. He is rotten to the core.
A large part of the book is focused on an employment tribunal and the events leading up to it. We learn in bitter detail what kind of a man Dick is and what Pearl suffers at his hands. But I have to give credit to Pearl and to the author of this book, Junying Kirk. Pearl challenges Dick. She faces her demons and Junying faced hers, I am sure, in writing this book.
It is a stirring story that must draw on very personal experiences. It is free from artifice. Sincerity is in every line. It succeeds in documenting with great accuracy the trials and also the triumphs of an academic life split across two very different continents. Anyone who reads it can't fail to be moved. And it will, I hope, allow English-speaking readers to get a better grasp of what it means to be Chinese.
July 27, 2013
Please Note: I originally read this book in exchange for an honest review after receiving a copy from the author. I later edited this book for the author. I do not receive any remuneration based on sales. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My review is based upon the original edition of the book, prior to having been edited by me.
About the Book: “Trials of Life” is the second book in the Journey to the West trilogy by author Junyung Kirk. Like the first book – The Same Moon – this is not the type of book I would normally read, but Ms. Kirk asked me if I would be so kind as to read and provide reviews for her books and I was happy to do so.
My Thoughts: “Trials of Life” was a much more difficult book than the first book in the series. While “The Same Moon” is focused on Pearl’s point-of-view exclusively, this book changes point of view frequently andwithout notice, which made it a bit difficult to follow who was “talking” to the reader. Adding the name of the person speaking at the beginning of the appropriate section would have gone a long way towards clearing that problem up. Edit: This was added into the next edition of the book. End edit Also, the bulk of the book has to do with a truly despicable person named Dick Appleton, and having to spend so much time in his head made me want to scrub my skin with pumice and then pour lye into my eyes – he was really awful. Of course, the mere fact that Ms. Kirk was able to provoke such an extreme reaction in me shows that she knows exactly how to create a character that is sure to stick in the mind of the reader. While there are some issues with grammar and proper sentence structure, Overall the writing style is excellent and I was duly impressed. Edit: Hopefully most of the grammar and editing issues were fixed when I edited the book.End Edit The main reason I marked off to only 4 stars was due to the voice confusion.
Overall I’ve found myself increasingly intrigued by both China and Scotland as a result of these books and would love to travel to both countries and have a chance to experience their cultures myself. I can recommend this book for those who enjoy a story about rising above and overcoming adversity – if that is you, definitely check it out.
About the Book: “Trials of Life” is the second book in the Journey to the West trilogy by author Junyung Kirk. Like the first book – The Same Moon – this is not the type of book I would normally read, but Ms. Kirk asked me if I would be so kind as to read and provide reviews for her books and I was happy to do so.
My Thoughts: “Trials of Life” was a much more difficult book than the first book in the series. While “The Same Moon” is focused on Pearl’s point-of-view exclusively, this book changes point of view frequently and
Overall I’ve found myself increasingly intrigued by both China and Scotland as a result of these books and would love to travel to both countries and have a chance to experience their cultures myself. I can recommend this book for those who enjoy a story about rising above and overcoming adversity – if that is you, definitely check it out.
August 8, 2013
Although this is my second in my Journey to the West trilogy, it was the first book I completed, following a very traumatic and harrowing experience which ended up in an Employment Tribunal. Writing about it helped me to deal with what has happened and its lasting impact on me psychologically and professionally.
Bullying and sexual harassment happen every day and in ever corner of the earth, but not everyone would report it or confront it, the way Pearl Zhang did in the story. It takes courage to stand up and fight for what is right. For this reason alone, I would rate this book 5 stars, for its honesty and taking the bulls by its horns!
Anyone who has experienced bullying and harassment should be able to relate to this book.
I am reading this again and intend to do some major rewrites following feedback from readers.
Bullying and sexual harassment happen every day and in ever corner of the earth, but not everyone would report it or confront it, the way Pearl Zhang did in the story. It takes courage to stand up and fight for what is right. For this reason alone, I would rate this book 5 stars, for its honesty and taking the bulls by its horns!
Anyone who has experienced bullying and harassment should be able to relate to this book.
I am reading this again and intend to do some major rewrites following feedback from readers.
May 22, 2012
Anatomy of an Harassment Claim
This wonderful book dissects and lays bare the entire course of an harassment claim, from the events leading to the claim through the hearing and its aftermath. A beautifully crafted work, the book tells the story from a series of changing viewpoints of the many people involved.
This wonderful book dissects and lays bare the entire course of an harassment claim, from the events leading to the claim through the hearing and its aftermath. A beautifully crafted work, the book tells the story from a series of changing viewpoints of the many people involved.
November 3, 2011
‘Trials of Life’ picks up sometime after ‘The Same Moon’ ends. We find that Pearl has established herself in the UK, and is happily married. Then she reads a news article about the death of Dr Richard Appleton, and her thoughts are flung into turmoil. She begins to reflect on the difficulties she went through to get where she currently is; some of them are pretty intense and include Richard.
This novel is a bit different from ‘The Same Moon’, which provides fascinating insights into China of the ‘70s and ‘80s, through the experiences of Pearl in China and then in the UK as a new immigrant. There is more a focus on the interactions between the various characters. The writing style is still personal and slightly unstructured, the way a diary is, one thought leading to another. I can definitely see an improvement in the editing as well as smoother transitions between scenes and sections, although there is still room for improvement.
The part of the book that I liked best was when Pearl was in the midst of her experiences with Richard. There was an intensity and breathlessness to the narrative that was engaging. Pearl’s uncertainty about the truth of Richard’s story and the fear it generated could have been drawn out more and should have been used to propel the plot forward. Instead, it was left there, an untapped source of potential. Once the point of view shifted to the other characters, I felt the book lost some of that momentum. I would suggest to the writer that she focus on that section with Pearl and see how she can capture that same energy in future stories.
This novel is a bit different from ‘The Same Moon’, which provides fascinating insights into China of the ‘70s and ‘80s, through the experiences of Pearl in China and then in the UK as a new immigrant. There is more a focus on the interactions between the various characters. The writing style is still personal and slightly unstructured, the way a diary is, one thought leading to another. I can definitely see an improvement in the editing as well as smoother transitions between scenes and sections, although there is still room for improvement.
The part of the book that I liked best was when Pearl was in the midst of her experiences with Richard. There was an intensity and breathlessness to the narrative that was engaging. Pearl’s uncertainty about the truth of Richard’s story and the fear it generated could have been drawn out more and should have been used to propel the plot forward. Instead, it was left there, an untapped source of potential. Once the point of view shifted to the other characters, I felt the book lost some of that momentum. I would suggest to the writer that she focus on that section with Pearl and see how she can capture that same energy in future stories.
August 10, 2011
"This thought-provoking novel is the sequel to The Same Moon, as we continue to follow Pearl in her education and cultural adaptation to the UK, with snapshots of her memories of China. It is about transition, from East to West. It deals with clashes of culture, sexual harassment, bullying and falling in love. The story is told in the voices of different characters, painting a full picture of events. "
An interesting read on several levels. To see not only a different cultural outlook, but to see how our culture looks through different eyes and how that can colour reactions.
Not quite as easy to read as The Same Moon, being told by several voices and covering Pearl's memories as well as current events as they unfold.
I have been made aware now that there are many differences between people, as well as those that are more obvious. We may be alike under our skins, but we are also very different.
An interesting read on several levels. To see not only a different cultural outlook, but to see how our culture looks through different eyes and how that can colour reactions.
Not quite as easy to read as The Same Moon, being told by several voices and covering Pearl's memories as well as current events as they unfold.
I have been made aware now that there are many differences between people, as well as those that are more obvious. We may be alike under our skins, but we are also very different.
May 30, 2011
An involving read. It deals with some tough issues like adaptation to a new culture, bullying and more positively with love. Well worth your attention.
September 6, 2013
Trials of Life is Junying Kirk's second novel, and is both like and unlike her first. Like The Same Moon, this work features the troubled life and growth of Zhang Zhenzhu, known to us as Pearl, a scholarly Chinese woman who grew up in the first novel and is now a professional in crisis. Unlike The Same Moon, Trials of Life changes viewpoint frequently. We also experience the perspectives of Pearl's boyfriend/husband, Andrew Church; of the book's villain, the loathsome Dick Appleton, who gets a lengthy section all his own; and of a variety of individuals involved in an Employment Tribunal whereby Pearl seeks justice.
The title Trials of Life is not a reference to the David Attenborough nature series, but is a double-entendre referring both to the troubles one goes through in life and to the aforementioned Employment Tribunal, in the last part of the story, which is conducted as a trial.
Pearl is a conventional heroine with strengths and weaknesses, honest about who she is and what she wants, and aware of her own limitations. Her greatest weakness shows in this story -- she has been trained to make the best of situations with difficult co-workers, because of what she calls "Chinese politeness." This means that when she is assigned to work with, and to some extent assist, a truly horrible man, she does her best to make it work in the face of his abusiveness.
That horrible man is Dr. Richard Appleton, known generally, and deservedly, as Dick, a huge, drunken womanizer and academic and political manipulator who uses bullsh#t, corruption, and connections to keep himself in power. He is accustomed to getting women drunk and sleeping with them and pushing them around, using lies and distortions to bend them to his will. Readers of Journey to the West will remember that Pearl has already survived other men of this type, and is not about to be defeated by another, even if he is the worst one of all. She suffers, though, and suffers, to a degree that is almost unbearable to read. I have said elsewhere, and I will say again here, that I would like to reach into the book and pull Dick Appleton out and tear him into pieces and stomp on the pieces. He is one of the most hateful characters I have ever met in fiction, and he is developed fully. One section of the book deals with Dick's upbringing, his college years, and his dirty deeds, including his sexual exploitation of women, which is described in detail. If you have ever crawled through mud and slime, then you can imagine what it is to spend time in the mind of this vile individual. It is a tour de force of characterization, and contains the finest writing in the book.
While China and Pearl's family are still important to the narrative, there is less focus upon them in this book than in The Same Moon. Pearl is still striving to win more time with her estranged daughter, and there is a lot to be learned about how China changed in the 1980s. Even neighboring Mongolia makes an appearance (albeit as the location of some of Dick's depravity). You will also get to see Pearl experience some real romance as she finally meets a man worthy of her, who makes her feel tingly in the way we would all like to feel.
Trials of Life is not a typical novel in structure or style, but it has a lot to offer with its depth and complexity of perspective, so I highly recommend it.
The title Trials of Life is not a reference to the David Attenborough nature series, but is a double-entendre referring both to the troubles one goes through in life and to the aforementioned Employment Tribunal, in the last part of the story, which is conducted as a trial.
Pearl is a conventional heroine with strengths and weaknesses, honest about who she is and what she wants, and aware of her own limitations. Her greatest weakness shows in this story -- she has been trained to make the best of situations with difficult co-workers, because of what she calls "Chinese politeness." This means that when she is assigned to work with, and to some extent assist, a truly horrible man, she does her best to make it work in the face of his abusiveness.
That horrible man is Dr. Richard Appleton, known generally, and deservedly, as Dick, a huge, drunken womanizer and academic and political manipulator who uses bullsh#t, corruption, and connections to keep himself in power. He is accustomed to getting women drunk and sleeping with them and pushing them around, using lies and distortions to bend them to his will. Readers of Journey to the West will remember that Pearl has already survived other men of this type, and is not about to be defeated by another, even if he is the worst one of all. She suffers, though, and suffers, to a degree that is almost unbearable to read. I have said elsewhere, and I will say again here, that I would like to reach into the book and pull Dick Appleton out and tear him into pieces and stomp on the pieces. He is one of the most hateful characters I have ever met in fiction, and he is developed fully. One section of the book deals with Dick's upbringing, his college years, and his dirty deeds, including his sexual exploitation of women, which is described in detail. If you have ever crawled through mud and slime, then you can imagine what it is to spend time in the mind of this vile individual. It is a tour de force of characterization, and contains the finest writing in the book.
While China and Pearl's family are still important to the narrative, there is less focus upon them in this book than in The Same Moon. Pearl is still striving to win more time with her estranged daughter, and there is a lot to be learned about how China changed in the 1980s. Even neighboring Mongolia makes an appearance (albeit as the location of some of Dick's depravity). You will also get to see Pearl experience some real romance as she finally meets a man worthy of her, who makes her feel tingly in the way we would all like to feel.
Trials of Life is not a typical novel in structure or style, but it has a lot to offer with its depth and complexity of perspective, so I highly recommend it.
July 27, 2012
Trials of Life is the sequel to The Same Moon, which I truly enjoyed, and I’d highly recommend be read prior to this one, as it follows the main character – Pearl, in her quest to the West.
The style of writing is different in this one with shifting POVs. This goes against most of the conventional rules I’ve learned about writing, yet, once I settled into the story, this was not an issue as the plot drew me in.
We learn of Pearl's education in the West ---not all of it is good, and this story centers around a particularly bad part of it. The underlying theme, however, still touches on the immigrant experience for many who move to a new country in search of “a better life.” Pearl learns that although some things are better, the road is not all welcoming.
This is a well-told story of Pearl's trials in a new world, and how along the way, she anchors herself to her new home with what is really important.
The style of writing is different in this one with shifting POVs. This goes against most of the conventional rules I’ve learned about writing, yet, once I settled into the story, this was not an issue as the plot drew me in.
We learn of Pearl's education in the West ---not all of it is good, and this story centers around a particularly bad part of it. The underlying theme, however, still touches on the immigrant experience for many who move to a new country in search of “a better life.” Pearl learns that although some things are better, the road is not all welcoming.
This is a well-told story of Pearl's trials in a new world, and how along the way, she anchors herself to her new home with what is really important.
July 18, 2014
'Trials of Life' is the second book in the 'Journey to the West' trilogy, and having very much enjoyed the first book, I was looking forward to reading it.
Ms. Kirk's eye for detail in chronicling the differences between East and West remains as sharp as ever, and we are given further insight into her protagonist, Pearl, as she tries to make the UK her home. The author skilfully creates one of the most obnoxious and memorable villains I have encountered in recent years and - ugh! - really gets into his mind. We feel for Pearl.
However, I must say I found the movement between the various time periods and points of view distracting, and occasionally had to check where I was at. A whole slew of new characters is introduced in the final section of the book and at that late stage I was unprepared to greet them.
Nonetheless, this remains an absorbing series, and I hope to read the final instalment, entitled 'Land of Hope', soon.
Ms. Kirk's eye for detail in chronicling the differences between East and West remains as sharp as ever, and we are given further insight into her protagonist, Pearl, as she tries to make the UK her home. The author skilfully creates one of the most obnoxious and memorable villains I have encountered in recent years and - ugh! - really gets into his mind. We feel for Pearl.
However, I must say I found the movement between the various time periods and points of view distracting, and occasionally had to check where I was at. A whole slew of new characters is introduced in the final section of the book and at that late stage I was unprepared to greet them.
Nonetheless, this remains an absorbing series, and I hope to read the final instalment, entitled 'Land of Hope', soon.
November 10, 2013
Spoiler Alert!
At first I want to thank Junying Kirk again for giving me the chance to get to know her books (because I´ve won book 2- Trials of Life at Goodreads).
Before I started reading Trials of Life I´ve expected it to be written like the first book. But I was wrong. Trials of Life is written in different point of views. It´s not only Pearl anymore who shows the reader what she feels, thinks and is going through. Also her husband, colleagues and many other people are giving the reader an insight into their life and into the scenes.
The book continues with Pearls life- the life of a woman who loves to live in the UK, who falls in love with a man, who is looking for a job and who is still trying to get her daughter to the UK.
I liked the first few chapters which were written mainly in Pearls and her (future) husbands view. It was interesting to get to know how they´ve met and fell in love with each other and also to see Pearl applying for a job she really wanted to have. For me this book was better than the last one when it comes to the emotional aspects. Pearl was showing a side I was missing in the last book. It was much easier to like or dislike the characters of the book because of the descriptions of feelings, characters and situations. This book was more about the characters and less about the surroundings.
Around the middle of the book the story somehow changes. Now it wasn´t really Pearls story anymore. The focus was now laid on her colleague called Dick with whom Pearl had to work and fly to China for business. The reader was able to see what kind of man he was, how his life went so far from being a little boy to the man he was in the end, what he preferred to do, his career and how he achieved the things he had achieved, and so on. From the very beginning this man was someone I didn´t liked and it was easy to not sympathise with him. He was addicted to alcohol and was a so called manwhore. Dick was obviously an intelligent man but he couldn´t emphasize with people. He had no clue about how to treat people right or wrong, he had no clue about hurting other people’s feelings with the words he´s using. I think Dick not only had a problem with alcohol he also had a mental health illness which made him to the most hated man to the ones who knew him.
Because Dick and Pearl didn´t got along well and had a dispute in China, Pearl decided to complain about him. The result of this was that they´ve seen each other back in court. It was Pearl vs. Dick in the last few chapters of the book. Those chapters were written in the point of view of the obvious ones as well as in the lawyers and possible witnesses (bosses, colleagues, etc.) point of view and not only gave a little insight into their work it also was possible to get to know the people- a little at least. The talks the different characters had with each other as well as the hearing in court had been mentioned. At the end no one really won or lost this case, although Pearl left the job she wanted to have so badly in the beginning.
While Pearl now left this all behind her, worked and had her daughter in the UK, Dick didn´t had much luck with his life going on.
Now after I´ve finished the book I can say again that it was really well written by Junying Kirk. As I´ve written earlier it was much easier to like or dislike the characters, because the focus was more on the people.
There were just some things I didn´t liked which effects the rating.
At first I think it would have been easier for me to have the Love story of Pearl and Andrew written at first. When I started reading and Andrew was mentioned I asked myself for a long time: Who´s Andrew? Where does he come from? (He wasn´t mentioned in the first book so he was there out of nowhere) Where did they meet? How did they fall in love? It was all revealed here and then but in between there were other scenes. But it was ok. It is nothing that has to be changed.
I also wondered why the relationship to her daughter wasn´t really mentioned. Just at the end of the book the reader knew that her daughter came to the UK and lived there with them and that the relationship is a little difficult between them. No real information about these two living with each other. I hope that I get to know more about the relationship of them in the next book.
About Dicks Story- It was interesting and nice to read but for me this series was about Pearl so maybe it would have been better to write the whole book in Pearls and Andrews point of view and writing Dicks story as an little extra book or ... I don´t know. Was not that bad to have it in it but it´s his story and not Pearls. So I can´t decide whether it should be in it or not.
At the End of the story I started to dislike Pearl a little bit. When she was in court she seemed to be like she´s acting. She had two breakdowns I couldn´t understand. I mean the whole time she was this strong, confident woman. She´s been through things/ situations which were much worse than the thing what Dick has done (He hasn´t raped her, he didn´t even touched her. Dick just said some stupid things and acted totally dumb, but Pearl knew him and was warned by others, so it was naive and dumb of her to believe everything he has said- however). So having a breakdown because of Dick was in my opinion just ridiculous. She didn´t had breakdowns before, although she had to deal with death, problems of different kinds and was raped. As I´ve said I can´t understand that. And to be happy and to be in a celebrating mood because of someone’s death is something I can´t stand- no matter if in real life or in a book. He was sick and didn´t got help- someone should have sent him to a mental health clinic. But to be happy about the death of someone who “just” said stupid things is just not human friendly in my eyes. This guy didn´t murdered or raped anyone so there´s no need to celebrate his death.
Whatever- I still want to read how Pearls life keeps going on. What kind of job she´s doing then and if she´s still with Andrew. Maybe there is more information about her wedding and her relationship with her daughter.
At first I want to thank Junying Kirk again for giving me the chance to get to know her books (because I´ve won book 2- Trials of Life at Goodreads).
Before I started reading Trials of Life I´ve expected it to be written like the first book. But I was wrong. Trials of Life is written in different point of views. It´s not only Pearl anymore who shows the reader what she feels, thinks and is going through. Also her husband, colleagues and many other people are giving the reader an insight into their life and into the scenes.
The book continues with Pearls life- the life of a woman who loves to live in the UK, who falls in love with a man, who is looking for a job and who is still trying to get her daughter to the UK.
I liked the first few chapters which were written mainly in Pearls and her (future) husbands view. It was interesting to get to know how they´ve met and fell in love with each other and also to see Pearl applying for a job she really wanted to have. For me this book was better than the last one when it comes to the emotional aspects. Pearl was showing a side I was missing in the last book. It was much easier to like or dislike the characters of the book because of the descriptions of feelings, characters and situations. This book was more about the characters and less about the surroundings.
Around the middle of the book the story somehow changes. Now it wasn´t really Pearls story anymore. The focus was now laid on her colleague called Dick with whom Pearl had to work and fly to China for business. The reader was able to see what kind of man he was, how his life went so far from being a little boy to the man he was in the end, what he preferred to do, his career and how he achieved the things he had achieved, and so on. From the very beginning this man was someone I didn´t liked and it was easy to not sympathise with him. He was addicted to alcohol and was a so called manwhore. Dick was obviously an intelligent man but he couldn´t emphasize with people. He had no clue about how to treat people right or wrong, he had no clue about hurting other people’s feelings with the words he´s using. I think Dick not only had a problem with alcohol he also had a mental health illness which made him to the most hated man to the ones who knew him.
Because Dick and Pearl didn´t got along well and had a dispute in China, Pearl decided to complain about him. The result of this was that they´ve seen each other back in court. It was Pearl vs. Dick in the last few chapters of the book. Those chapters were written in the point of view of the obvious ones as well as in the lawyers and possible witnesses (bosses, colleagues, etc.) point of view and not only gave a little insight into their work it also was possible to get to know the people- a little at least. The talks the different characters had with each other as well as the hearing in court had been mentioned. At the end no one really won or lost this case, although Pearl left the job she wanted to have so badly in the beginning.
While Pearl now left this all behind her, worked and had her daughter in the UK, Dick didn´t had much luck with his life going on.
Now after I´ve finished the book I can say again that it was really well written by Junying Kirk. As I´ve written earlier it was much easier to like or dislike the characters, because the focus was more on the people.
There were just some things I didn´t liked which effects the rating.
At first I think it would have been easier for me to have the Love story of Pearl and Andrew written at first. When I started reading and Andrew was mentioned I asked myself for a long time: Who´s Andrew? Where does he come from? (He wasn´t mentioned in the first book so he was there out of nowhere) Where did they meet? How did they fall in love? It was all revealed here and then but in between there were other scenes. But it was ok. It is nothing that has to be changed.
I also wondered why the relationship to her daughter wasn´t really mentioned. Just at the end of the book the reader knew that her daughter came to the UK and lived there with them and that the relationship is a little difficult between them. No real information about these two living with each other. I hope that I get to know more about the relationship of them in the next book.
About Dicks Story- It was interesting and nice to read but for me this series was about Pearl so maybe it would have been better to write the whole book in Pearls and Andrews point of view and writing Dicks story as an little extra book or ... I don´t know. Was not that bad to have it in it but it´s his story and not Pearls. So I can´t decide whether it should be in it or not.
At the End of the story I started to dislike Pearl a little bit. When she was in court she seemed to be like she´s acting. She had two breakdowns I couldn´t understand. I mean the whole time she was this strong, confident woman. She´s been through things/ situations which were much worse than the thing what Dick has done (He hasn´t raped her, he didn´t even touched her. Dick just said some stupid things and acted totally dumb, but Pearl knew him and was warned by others, so it was naive and dumb of her to believe everything he has said- however). So having a breakdown because of Dick was in my opinion just ridiculous. She didn´t had breakdowns before, although she had to deal with death, problems of different kinds and was raped. As I´ve said I can´t understand that. And to be happy and to be in a celebrating mood because of someone’s death is something I can´t stand- no matter if in real life or in a book. He was sick and didn´t got help- someone should have sent him to a mental health clinic. But to be happy about the death of someone who “just” said stupid things is just not human friendly in my eyes. This guy didn´t murdered or raped anyone so there´s no need to celebrate his death.
Whatever- I still want to read how Pearls life keeps going on. What kind of job she´s doing then and if she´s still with Andrew. Maybe there is more information about her wedding and her relationship with her daughter.
August 8, 2013
Finally, I've done it - all my three books of the "Journey to the West" trilogy are now in print, as well as electronically. With quite a bit of rewrites and polishing of 'Trials of Life', I can now properly say goodbye to a part of writing life, which has spanned in nearly two decades. I'm looking forward to the future of producing more great novels, which hopefully will continue to engage and enchant my ever-increasing global readership. Thanks to all who have joined me in this amazing journey!
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