Poignantly told, but quite tragic, story of a family who loses their middle child, a daughter, to a drowning. The drowning is stated at the onset of tPoignantly told, but quite tragic, story of a family who loses their middle child, a daughter, to a drowning. The drowning is stated at the onset of the novel, leading readers to believe that a murder mystery might unfold. While there are bits of figuring out what happened to Lydia, the more interesting aspect of the novel is the revealing of a family's history, the complexities of an interracial marriage in the late 50s/ early 60s, the subtle (and unsubtle) tribulations that the family goes through both externally (they end up living in a small Ohio college town, where they are the only non-white people) and internally (the resentments upheld between husband and wife, between siblings, and between parents and children).
Ng is deft at rendering the emotional nuance of the characters; as the story progresses, their emotional arcs become more gut-wrenching and traumatic.
There are some similarities with Little Fires Everywhere, the sophomore novel: starting a story with a tragedy and then going back in time, taut writing, storylines that tie up later near the end, emotional fragility yet demonstrating resilience, living through racial difference, but not always overtly displayed (in the story) or discussed (in the rhetoric). I daresay sometimes I enjoyed reading this debut novel over Little Fires Everywhere even if the later was more ambitious.
Overall, a work that is exquisite, rich in character, and well-written....more
Author Paul Yoon writes of an episode in the Wars against the Pathet Lao (the Communist army in Laos), featuring three kids who, after having lost theAuthor Paul Yoon writes of an episode in the Wars against the Pathet Lao (the Communist army in Laos), featuring three kids who, after having lost their parents, end up working as motorcycle transport for a makeshift hospital, anchored by a doctor named Vang. Their job is perilous as they work to avoid any unexploded small bombs that were dropped (mainly by Americans) who were trying to assist the Royal government and root out any Communists.
(view spoiler)[The story is set in various times and places; earlier in the War, later when two of the characters (Vang and Prany, the older brother of a brother-sister duo) are captured and forced into a reeducation camp, Alisak's (the third, oldest child) who did manage to escape by helicopter into Thailand and then into France, and some other characters who had some contact with Prany when Prany makes a revisit into the makeshift hospital.
The language is very understated, so much so that (and this is my main critique of the book) I lose track of the plot. Sometimes the reader needs to take note carefully of a detail that might end up as a crucial piece later in the book (e.g. what Noi was wearing on her finger becomes informative as to what happen the night (?) of the botched helicopter rescue. (hide spoiler)]
But Yoon's voice is calm, and the effect of the emotional impact is more devastating as a result. The sparseness of the words is mirrored by the emptiness, desolation, and utter hopelessness experienced by ordinary people in war.
Ultimately, I'm glad to have read this book, and am glad to have learned of this author....more
A sprawling contemporary Asian American Bay Area drama full of satire, wretched inter-familial relations, and conniving relatives, ex-girlfriends, secA sprawling contemporary Asian American Bay Area drama full of satire, wretched inter-familial relations, and conniving relatives, ex-girlfriends, second wives. Stanley Huang has been diagnosed with terminal cancer; his wife divorced of 9 years Linda is using her grownup children to communicate with him; meanwhile they too are wishing for lives beyond their own existences. Fred is a power investor who continually ogles the HBS classmates who are trading in even bigger swaths of money than he is; and Kate is running a household with 2 kids while her deadbeat supposedly entrepreneurial husband Denny stays at home trying to start a new company.
The novel moves at a nice clip, irreverent at times (blurbs and critics point to Crazy Rich Asians as a model, though this book is nowhere near as ridiculous and satirical), but just heartfelt enough to maintain some level of gravitas. The novel deals with issues of sexism, class, wealth, and the veneer of the American dream.
Around the 300-page mark, I thought the book had almost run its course (it continues to almost 400 pages); editorial team could have cut about 50 pages without losing much (this is the reason for removing a goodreads star). Conversely, more prose could have been devoted to Mary, the younger 2nd wife of Stanley Huang who everyone else is accusing of marrying Stanley for his money. Fred's Hungarian girlfriend Erika who plays a significant role in the plot development serves as another fascinating supplementary character.
By the end of the novel, we learn that things are not what they may have seemed; yes, Silicon Valley venture capital is king, but is everyone who they say they are, and are appearances deceiving?...more
A seminal volume examining the ways in which Asian American musicking can operate within racialized social structures of present-day America. Focuses A seminal volume examining the ways in which Asian American musicking can operate within racialized social structures of present-day America. Focuses on various case studies: classical musicians-in-training at Julliard, early As. Am. YouTuber singer-songwriters, and diasporic pop megastars including Leehom Wang.
The complexities and contradictions of involved in expressing Asian American identity through music are well outlined, and Prof. Wang's analyses of her ethnographic interviews are thorough, precise, and nuanced....more
What a thriller of a novel; I read this in one sitting in one evening.
Chobahm and her twin brother are residents of the dystopian outer world, averageWhat a thriller of a novel; I read this in one sitting in one evening.
Chobahm and her twin brother are residents of the dystopian outer world, average temperature -50F, in a world beset by climate change, after the Warring Periods. Theirs, and everyone else's, goal is to be recruited into Snowglobe, a secluded luxurious environment where everyone is beautiful, but where everyone's job is to act on reality TV for media consumption by those in the outer world. When Chobahm is recruited to substitute for Haeri, an actor star who has committed suicide, Chobahm's dreams come true, but when she actually arrives at Snowglobe, she realizes that the reality of Snowglobe is less lustrous than what she imagined.
The social and physical world that the author builds is meticulously put together and intricate; we get to witness the insidious nature of the world, the way in which actors, directors, and producers (i.e. the owners of Snowglobe) work together, but also maintain animosities, within Snowglobe. Hidden secrets abound, and by the time Chobahm realizes what she's in for she begins to plot to find a way out.
The writing is extremely engaging, the characters are very relatable, and the novel provides a suitable commentary on contemporary (2024) life, the way in which our obsessions with appearances, social media, and "reality" permeates our social well being.
I docked one star mainly because I felt that the pacing around the 3/4 mark was too fast, and a bit too contrived, and perhaps not quite as unique as the opening of the book. i.e. at some point the book read too much like a thriller, the climax a bit ordinary. But it doesn't detract from what is otherwise a certain must-read for all ages....more
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