From Georgia Lyonhyde—Reedsy Discovery:

The Buddha that Never Turns his Head and other Novellas by Thanh Dinh was a tough read. I wasn’t ready for it. At first, I was put off by the book. The first story was a story within a story. This reminded me of Arabian Nights. Initially, I was frustrated that it seemingly took half the text for the main character to travel and observe his changing environments before we were ready to talk about the Buddha that never turned his head. Does that still irk me? Yes, somewhat. I think a lot of the earlier information could have been shortened. However, by the end of the story, I appreciated the journey.

The density of earlier information was owing to the philosophical nature of the book. Many of the protagonists’ conversation were deep-rooted in what Guatama witnessed, and what he interpreted of his observations. As I was reading, I was struck by how much the text reminded me of the works of Paulo Coelho.

I found the second story easier to read. Where the first was focused on war, suffering, history, and community, Full Moon in October shared overlapping themes as well as themes of its own. I found the second story to be focused on love, obsession, mental health, and self-discovery, and as much as it dwelled on negativity, I liked that it was modern in its setting.

Full Moon is likely to resonate with a lot of readers, particularly women who look back and question a formative relationship. It raises questions about the power dynamics within an intimate relationship. What starts as a case of opposites attract when you take the characters at face value, soon reveals its toxicity. I really enjoyed reading the reflections and thought process the main character offered as they worked towards a deeper understanding of their past.

What I loved best about the book was the language. When my interest wavered, I was drawn back in by the wondrous descriptions that made good use of similes. The descriptions awakened all my senses and made scenes feel very real. I also liked the innocence, curiosity, and relaxed natured of Hong from the first story. Her immaturity and questioning of Guatama meant that the way he explained the world had to be accessible for the layman audience. This was quite the parallel to Leia in the second story, who was shedding her naivete, and learning her own life lessons rather than being overtly taught.

In terms of structure, the fist text appeared lyrical and drawn out, whilst in the second there was a stunted start to each chapter and a yearning close. They tackled different eras, different journeys, and explored philosophical themes in greatly different ways. I’m not sure I would have put the two stories together if I was on the publishing team. If I had my way, I would have opted for Full Moon in October and similar stories as a collection. I didn’t appreciate jumping from a spiritual mode to one of nostalgia. That said, Dinh is a wonderful story weaver who is able to use language in captivating ways. The plots are not the most fascinating, but the characters take an interesting world view that makes them worthy of attention. All things considered, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars.