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干爹 [十年暗恋]
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 8, 2021
(Tentative) English translation of the title: "Godfather (10 Years of Secret Love)". No English fan translation is found, which is a pity. This review is based on a Vietnamese translation.
I'm surprised this book is not widely known. It's one of the best danmei novels I've read. A slow-burn romance set in the tumultuous 60s-70s of Chinese history, it tracks the 10 years of forbidden love between a godson and his godfather. Meng Xiaobei met his godfather He Shaotang, a soldier, when he was a small kid. Xiaobei ran away from home, get lost in the forest and was rescued by Shaotang. They became godfather/godson. In the subsequent years, the teenager Xiaobei developed a crush on his godfather, who tried to hide his emotions deep inside. When their secret love was discovered by the family, both Shaotang and Xiaobei, now a university student, stood their ground against family pressure and threat of disownment, defying social stigma to protect their love. The author claimed the novel was based on a true story (with some creative freedom to add/alter certain details), which made it more special.
Xiang Xiaomo is better-known for her other more sensational books, but in my opinion this is her best work. It reads more like a literary fiction than an online danmei romance. Her writing creates a poignant atmosphere, bringing back nostalgia of a sad period when lives were crushed under the wheel of history. Shaotang and Xiaobei's unwavering love is a beacon that shines a light of hope in this difficult time.
I truly hope someone someday will make an endeavor to translate this book into English. It deserves widespread attention from all MM romance & literary fiction readers.
I'm surprised this book is not widely known. It's one of the best danmei novels I've read. A slow-burn romance set in the tumultuous 60s-70s of Chinese history, it tracks the 10 years of forbidden love between a godson and his godfather. Meng Xiaobei met his godfather He Shaotang, a soldier, when he was a small kid. Xiaobei ran away from home, get lost in the forest and was rescued by Shaotang. They became godfather/godson. In the subsequent years, the teenager Xiaobei developed a crush on his godfather, who tried to hide his emotions deep inside. When their secret love was discovered by the family, both Shaotang and Xiaobei, now a university student, stood their ground against family pressure and threat of disownment, defying social stigma to protect their love. The author claimed the novel was based on a true story (with some creative freedom to add/alter certain details), which made it more special.
Xiang Xiaomo is better-known for her other more sensational books, but in my opinion this is her best work. It reads more like a literary fiction than an online danmei romance. Her writing creates a poignant atmosphere, bringing back nostalgia of a sad period when lives were crushed under the wheel of history. Shaotang and Xiaobei's unwavering love is a beacon that shines a light of hope in this difficult time.
I truly hope someone someday will make an endeavor to translate this book into English. It deserves widespread attention from all MM romance & literary fiction readers.
May 13, 2022
4.5 🍑
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews