Review: The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was nothing like I had expected ... I'm not sure what I felt I was getting into but it certainly wasn't what I found in this book. This is a very good book. It's a very well written novel that put me directly into the shoes of a photojournalist during the Vietnam War. At moments, I felt as if I were walking through the streets and experiencing things myself. Tatjana Soli made the setting of the novel come alive. She has a gift for descriptive language. The way that she weaves the horrors of the war with the love story is simply fantastic! It felt real and natural. She brings this dangerous time and place alive and does an amazing job at showing the reader the intricate details of the life of a photojournalist during war and how the war changes them and their lives.

This is a book that will most definitely transport the reader into the frightening and humid jungles of Vietnam as well as the filthy streets of Saigon. This alone makes the book worth the read. I didn't think the love story (or love triangle, to be more accurate) was as strong as it could have been. I just didn't 'feel' the love triangle in the way I believe the author intended. It didn't resonate with me in the way that I would have liked.

In the end, however, this novel was outstanding and I definitely recommend it. If nothing else, its a well written novel that will transport you to an entirely different world more effectively than you can imagine!

View all my reviews