It appears that my experience with this book diverged from those of other reviewers. I anticipated a poignant love story featuring gay men in China, yet what unfolded was more akin to a disjointed assortment of chapters lacking coherence. Contrary to my expectations, the narrative primarily revolved around gay men entangled in marriages with women, clandestinely meeting their male lovers on the side. This unexpected direction left me perplexed and struggling to grasp the overarching storyline.

The synopsis of this book really appealed to me. A story spanning decades, from China to the US, dealing with the fallout of people who attended the Worker’s Cinema, a cruising place for gay men in rural China. The glimpses into gay life in rural China in the 80s were super interesting. I liked seeing the connection between the men who found refuge in the theater and the people who ran the space.

This book ends up following more characters than just Old Second and Bao Mei who are mentioned in the synopsis. All of the characters are connected and it does make sense why their stories are being told… However, at times it felt more like a collection of stories rather than a full novel. There were so many large time jumps or important scenes that happened off page that I felt like I wasn’t getting the full picture of these people’s lives.

I’m definitely open to reading more from Jiaming Tang in the future. I enjoyed the explorations of queerness, immigrant communities, and the complicated relationships that exist throughout decades.

This was an expansive and beautiful portrayal of the gay and lesbian experience in China and in the newly immigrated Chinese community in America in the 21st Century. What I found most remarkable about this novel was how it demonstrated the cascading effects of our failed and followed aspirations over time—and the human ability to be resilient and adaptable, always finding ways to survive. In many respects, this novel reminded me of Matthew Lopez’ “The Inheritance” about the shared and interlocking experience of the LGBT community in America—but this work considering this theme across continents. As a text that aims to explore the subtleties and nuances of identity, history, and relationships, I found it to be engrossing.

It's an oddly lyrical mix of beautiful and bleak and indulgent. A narrative of lives intersecting through migration, grief, guilt and poverty, specifically for Fuzhou Chinese migrant workers. While I found the POVs of Old Second and Bao Mei engrossing and heart-wrenching, I found myself impatient and jarred by the parts from Yan Hua's POV. I wish her growth was not as much of a focal point in this story, as the other two. I wish those parts of the narrative space was devoted instead to how Old Second and Bao Mei ended up together. While I find the choice to tell this tale in a nonlinear fashion, focusing on internal journeys, interesting, I feel like it sacrificed breathing room for some truly necessary bits of storytelling, including the effects of the pandemic on poor and elderly Chinese immigrants. Overall, a decently heartfelt debut novel about overlooked fabrics of existence around being Asian immigrants and being queer.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this eARC of Cinema Love!

In reading this book, I felt transported. Genuinely. I fell into the stories of Old Second, Bao Mei, and Yan Hua. As the characters that get the most focus in this incredible novel, they are so strongly developed and such real-feeling that it is hard not to hope for them to find their ways through the world. Each of them is shown to be flawed in ways that create such fascinating internal struggles and it provides a window into a times and places I have never been in. Beyond those three, though, other characters that are featured along side them get relatively strong development, which is a massive strong suit for this book. It is so character-driven that characters that would often be underdeveloped in similar books also get their own worlds in just as intriguing ways.

I love the way that Cinema Love flows through time, making it feel very much like time is as fluid as water. The past and present flow seamlessly together and it brings all of the stories together beautifully. I really don't have a negative to say about this book!

CINEMA LOVE
Jiaming Tang

Last week I had a dream that a man kissed me slowly and made love to me even slower. I woke up to find that CINEMA LOVE was next up on my TBR, it had to be fate.

Called tender, which I would love to challenge, CINEMA LOVE is about a group of married men who meet at a cinema in the middle of the day in China to watch old movies and have affairs with men.

Their wives are not always aware this is happening, often they do not approve, and when the relationship between the men carries over to their marriage bed, it threatens to destroy their marriages and their place within their families and communities. It is important to them to keep this part of themselves secret from those in their family, church, and members of their community.

If the women in these marriages were complicit, I believe I would’ve experienced the material differently than I did. Given how it was the material did not feel objective. It was intentionally persuasive, even offering a character that went against the norm to further solidify its viewpoint. Given a bigger fence with more room to roam, I perhaps would’ve experienced the relationship dynamics differently.

One alternating perspective would’ve gone a long way and would’ve provided an opportunity for discussion. How it was, was a little too one-sided.

Thanks to Netgalley, and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for the advanced copy!

CINEMA LOVE…⭐⭐⭐

Beautiful and tragic. This is my first book from the author and I will continue to read more. I loved their prose and storytelling.

Jiaminig Tang's Cinema Love is a tour de force. I found myself invested in the characters' stories and rooting for each of them. Heartbreaking and peppered with humor, Cinema Love is not to be missed..

Cinema Love has been one of my most anticipated debuts for 2024. Tang is a queer immigrant debut novelist who holds an MFA from the University of Alabama and a 2022 Center for Fiction emerging writer who delivered an incredible character-driven literary fiction book for your summer stacks.

This heart-aching story chronicles the relationship between Bao Mei and Old Second, who are not necessarily in love but begin their married life in rural China.

Old Second finds relationships and love at a rundown cinema, where Bao carefully guards the ticket booth, keeping the secrets of each person who buys a ticket there. Many a disgruntled wife comes in search of her husband only to be turned away by Bao, but there is a reason she feels called to this role and the people who inhabit the dark corners of this place.

When Old Second finds love, Tang's searing description of the affair nearly took my breath away: "Theirs is the kind of love that can change the weather. A radio forecast predicting rain switches its tune the moment Old Second sees Shun-Er."

But when tragedy strikes, those involved become haunted by what they did and did not do, which could have changed the trajectory of the tragedies that spill upon the pages.

This novel is the perfect literary fiction book to sink your teeth into both cinematic in its setting and Tang's magnificent writing.

Readers should know that Tang does not gloss over many horrific elements of homophobia, asking the reader to confront what was happening in the past. Tang smartly brings the story full circle in many ways during the pandemic as they navigate New York, showcasing racism rampant during this time with another jarring scene with a perspective that made me cry.

The cast of characters is vast, and the rhythm of the voices felt confusing at times, but I found this book worth the journey experience offered. The novel explores contradictions between communities of people, but even more the contradictions within ourselves.

While I hate to compare this to A Little Life, as people have such strong reactions to this book's themes, the range of this story, felt similarly built but with additional layers through the immigrant experience and offering an #ownvoices perspective.

Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang is a captivating exploration of love, passion, and the magic of cinema. Tang's eloquent prose effortlessly transports readers into the enchanting world of the silver screen, where characters come alive and emotions run deep. Through the lens of the protagonist's journey, Tang masterfully weaves together themes of romance, identity, and the power of storytelling. The vivid descriptions of iconic movie scenes and the palpable chemistry between the characters evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing, creating a truly immersive reading experience. With its engaging plot twists and heartfelt moments, "Cinema Love" is a heartfelt ode to the transformative nature of love and the enduring allure of cinema. Tang's unique voice and keen insight make this novel a must-read for anyone who appreciates the magic of storytelling and the universal language of love.

5 stars

I both eagerly anticipated this read and wrung my hands most times when I thought about it because I knew I'd love the content and that it would still hurt to read. All of the hypotheses were correct. This is a beautiful book, but - and this is the point - it's also a painful reminder of how some parts of our lives and ourselves are inescapable, even decades later.

Old Second, who now has one of my favorite character names of all time, and Bao Mei, a traditional appearing het married couple, are anything but. They're married, but more so in a mutually beneficial partnership than what may come to mind otherwise. They're initially both drawn to the Workers' Cinema, which is a front for queer men. Old Second could be his true self here, and Bao Mei takes on a different role, as a kind of protector of the men and their (by force) secrets.

Of course, though there's a facade of safety and protection associated with the theater, the stakes are high, and the center cannot hold. It turns out that this center - the basis for all of Old Second's and Bao Mei's actions - *also* cannot hold. Over many years, they both question their decisions and outcomes, and this process is both challenging and arresting to read.

Existence is so painful so frequently, and while there is not necessarily a reprieve from that fact here, there is so much resilience and compassion out there, too. This is a longstanding narrative about all of these conditions and more, and I loved it. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this incredible book.

Ultimately a story of confronting history, immigration, and forgiveness, this is one that will stick with me for a long time. Jumping between Chinatown, NYC in 2020 during the pandemic and rural Fuzhou, China in the 1980s, we are witnesses to the interconnected stories of peoples’ immigration experiences. These experiences are all kickstarted by the brutal raid and demolition of a workers’ cinema in Mawei, Fuzhou that acted as a safe haven for queer men. I think the description of this book: one of gay men and the women who love them, is perfect. It is true that the women are the backbone of this story; they carry the capacity for strength and resilience, as well as prejudice that they must overcome.

As each of the characters overcome grief, guilt, and disappointment, they are also adapting to living in America without any support except for each other.

This book felt so personal and intimate as it recollects these characters’ lives, navigating discussions of queerness, acceptance, survivor’s guilt, and the immigrant experience. This is one I’ll recommend forever.

Very interesting premise. I struggled with the changing timeline at times, but the writing was strong and the characters transcended the page. Valuable story and history showcased here.

Spanning multiple years and settings, this is a tender, visceral story about love and all sides of complicated relationships. Each character is written so vividly that it is the simplest thing to empathize with all of them and want all of them to be happy, even when they act at cross purposes to others. The way that other people can be the greatest source of pain and/or support in life is well-demonstrated, in addition to the effects of individual actions and interactions, and the consequences of concealing guilt, secrets, and the truth (even from yourself). I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a story about queer love and its history, the Chinese immigrant experience, and complex characters with rich backstories.

Amazing! 5 stars! I love that you got to see both perspectives of the MMC and their wives. Heartbreaking, moving, and honest!

This book is beautiful and heartbreaking. It shows the loneliness of not being able to love the person you want to love. This book will stick with me forever.

This was a great debut novel that focuses on the queer relationships between men in China who's only place to meet other men and have some sort of chance at a relationship was a cinema in Mawei called the Worker's Cinema. The story follows a cast of characters both men and women as they navigate their relationships and the secrets their partners hide. A majority of the story takes place in the US ranging from the 80s to present day and the immigrant experience is detailed and given so much life and understanding for the reader. There was a part towards the end where one of the characters is preparing to leave the house and the author did an incredible job of describing the thought process and fears that someone who has a language barrier might experience when going out into the world and not knowing what to expect and he doesn't know if they'll be hostile or not simply by his presence on the street as both an immigrant and as a gay man. The only criticism I have is that the book felt a bit long and did drag in certain parts but all in all, the story kept my interest and I kept coming back to learn what would become of our characters.

This novel has an intriguing premise and builds the characters with care and empathy. But, the plot and switching timelines left me a bit wanting.

Cinema Love is a captivating narrative that delves into the lives of Old Second, his wife Bao Mei, and a myriad of interconnected characters, as they traverse the journey from post-socialist China to modern-day New York City. The story masterfully unfolds, highlighting the profound impact of the Worker's Cinema on their lives and the intimate relationships that blossomed among men who found solace and love in the movie screens.

The author, Tang, possesses an enchanting writing style that draws readers into the intricate world of these characters. As we delve deeper into their lives, we are introduced to Old Second and Bao Mei, as well as the enigmatic Yan Hua and her fascinating circle of friends and loved ones. Tang's narrative offers a mesmerizing exploration of their interconnected lives, gradually revealing the intricate web that binds them together.

While the story may seem to meander at times, it ultimately offers a deeply emotional and thought-provoking experience. The lush and unassuming prose occasionally leaves one questioning the precise chronological order of events. However, it becomes evident that the story's essence lies not in the specific timeline but in the rich tapestry of emotions and connections that unravel as the narrative progresses.

Cinema Love transcends its initial premise, becoming a tale of love and loss, immigration, and the powerful bonds that unite us all. I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Dutton for providing the opportunity to read this exceptional book in advance.

A deeply empathetic insight into the Chinese-American diaspora. It is beautifully written and made me look at things such as immigration, language barriers, and especially LGBT+ issues in different communities in new ways.