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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this book although I have to admit I did not get a lot of the slang. I guess I’m just old, lol.
Really liked this book. Definitely felt some influence from Bourdain (as Huang says himself). Hit a bunch of interesting locales for me: Taiwan and Florida. Funny I think that I genuinely loved this memoir, but very much doubt I would like hanging out with Huang in person.
One of the best books I've ever listened to. If you want to understand the real immigrant experience from an author who doesn't pull any punches, this is the book. Huang reads the audiobook too, it's amazing.
Eddie is an interesting guy with an interesting story, but the hip-hop slang and posturing got tiresome after a while. Maybe it just wasn't for me.
Eddie Huang's brash, in-your-face memoir is nothing like the show that was inspired by it. Yes, his life's story is full of funny moments, but they're nothing that would ever be aired by a Disney-owned corporation. Not unless Mickey and the gang are okay with underage drinking, smoking, hustling, and other unsavory things that some kids do in real life.
The first half of the book was a bit tiresome, with page after page of Eddie being the bad boy. Maybe it was to establish his "street cred," but it's pretty repetitive: Eddie isn't great at school, Eddie drinks and gets high, Eddie's family isn't perfect, Eddie gets into fights, etc. He doesn't fit into the model minority myth and he details all of his exploits to ensure that the reader knows this. He talks trash, calls others Uncle Chans, and quotes hip hop lyrics non-stop.
It's only in the second half of the book where I started enjoying it. A lot. Huang finds his groove in college, after a run-in with the law. While he ponders opening his own restaurant (following in his father's footsteps, much to his parents' chagrin), Huang calls out the establishment, pointing out hypocrisies in American society, and questions the roles that Asian Americans play in the United States. His opinions on race are insightful and can open much-needed discussions. For example, he talks about the problems within his own community: "It may seem contradictory to say I want people to preserve their culture and then reject certain things like the model-minority expectations, a la carte, but there is a fine distinction to be made between stereotypes and actual culture. In my Chinese America, I don’t care if you have high SAT scores or use chopsticks. All I want to know is if you are aware of shared problems and issues due to our skin, eyes, and country of origin."
Fresh Off the Boat will not be for everyone. Huang does not pull any punches with mainstream society and its treatment of minorities, but he's smart enough to own up to his shortcomings: "Once again, my dad knew something I didn’t. Looking back, I realize it wasn’t just that I was Asian. I was a loud-mouthed, brash, broken Asian who had no respect for authority in any form, whether it was a parent, teacher, or country. Not only was I not white, to many people I wasn’t Asian either." It's this honesty about society, and more importantly himself, that make this such a compelling read.
The first half of the book was a bit tiresome, with page after page of Eddie being the bad boy. Maybe it was to establish his "street cred," but it's pretty repetitive: Eddie isn't great at school, Eddie drinks and gets high, Eddie's family isn't perfect, Eddie gets into fights, etc. He doesn't fit into the model minority myth and he details all of his exploits to ensure that the reader knows this. He talks trash, calls others Uncle Chans, and quotes hip hop lyrics non-stop.
It's only in the second half of the book where I started enjoying it. A lot. Huang finds his groove in college, after a run-in with the law. While he ponders opening his own restaurant (following in his father's footsteps, much to his parents' chagrin), Huang calls out the establishment, pointing out hypocrisies in American society, and questions the roles that Asian Americans play in the United States. His opinions on race are insightful and can open much-needed discussions. For example, he talks about the problems within his own community: "It may seem contradictory to say I want people to preserve their culture and then reject certain things like the model-minority expectations, a la carte, but there is a fine distinction to be made between stereotypes and actual culture. In my Chinese America, I don’t care if you have high SAT scores or use chopsticks. All I want to know is if you are aware of shared problems and issues due to our skin, eyes, and country of origin."
Fresh Off the Boat will not be for everyone. Huang does not pull any punches with mainstream society and its treatment of minorities, but he's smart enough to own up to his shortcomings: "Once again, my dad knew something I didn’t. Looking back, I realize it wasn’t just that I was Asian. I was a loud-mouthed, brash, broken Asian who had no respect for authority in any form, whether it was a parent, teacher, or country. Not only was I not white, to many people I wasn’t Asian either." It's this honesty about society, and more importantly himself, that make this such a compelling read.
The author's narration of the book is engaging and makes this an easy book to hear. The story is compelling, thought-provoking, and humorous. Thank you to the author for taking time to share his life story and for challenging me more than once to think deeper about my own experiences and misconceptions. I highly recommend this book; though I caution you there is an abundance of adult language so use your own discretion as to who makes up your listening audience.
reflective
medium-paced
Watched the show, recently found out it's based off a book, which my roommate told me months ago but I never really heard.
So here I am, fresh off of reading this memoir. I have a lot of feelings about this. My first reaction two chapters in was "THIS IS GREAT!" and excitedly texted roommie to read this ASAP.
With gems like "I don’t think people realize how fucking weird Christianity is if you’re not raised around it...." and "Chuck E. Cheese was for mouth breathers and kids with Velcro shoes....", what's not to love?
But it gets weird. His family is clearly dysfunctional, and his parents are downright abusive (mentally and physically, as one other reviewer describes it). It's ridiculous how his parents looks down on him.
Eddie hates whiteness so much that you can feel it seep from the paper to your fingers. He hates that he is misunderstood and is being forced into this Chinese-American mold by his parents and society. Nothing new--what immigrant (which he is not, btw) doesn't hate the society they have to assimilate into?
This memoir is rife with esoteric hip-hop and sports references (that I skim through, because I just don't give a fuck about Orlando Magic and Ghostface whoever), ebonics, and the jarring descriptions of food. So be prepared.
He'd be talking about some fool he clocked one second, and then you flip the page and he's talking about how to make scallions and bone marrow and chili pepper flow together harmoniously. Something like that.
Eddie knows he's smart. And he is. This guy got hella awards, went to law school, repped Obama, and managed his own restaurant all before he hit 30. He also got into a lot of fights, dealt drugs while in law school, and got locked up for a felony. Respect the hustle, even if the whole "I know some deep shit" vibes is so in your face.
So here I am, fresh off of reading this memoir. I have a lot of feelings about this. My first reaction two chapters in was "THIS IS GREAT!" and excitedly texted roommie to read this ASAP.
With gems like "I don’t think people realize how fucking weird Christianity is if you’re not raised around it...." and "Chuck E. Cheese was for mouth breathers and kids with Velcro shoes....", what's not to love?
But it gets weird. His family is clearly dysfunctional, and his parents are downright abusive (mentally and physically, as one other reviewer describes it). It's ridiculous how his parents looks down on him.
Eddie hates whiteness so much that you can feel it seep from the paper to your fingers. He hates that he is misunderstood and is being forced into this Chinese-American mold by his parents and society. Nothing new--what immigrant (which he is not, btw) doesn't hate the society they have to assimilate into?
This memoir is rife with esoteric hip-hop and sports references (that I skim through, because I just don't give a fuck about Orlando Magic and Ghostface whoever), ebonics, and the jarring descriptions of food. So be prepared.
He'd be talking about some fool he clocked one second, and then you flip the page and he's talking about how to make scallions and bone marrow and chili pepper flow together harmoniously. Something like that.
Eddie knows he's smart. And he is. This guy got hella awards, went to law school, repped Obama, and managed his own restaurant all before he hit 30. He also got into a lot of fights, dealt drugs while in law school, and got locked up for a felony. Respect the hustle, even if the whole "I know some deep shit" vibes is so in your face.
This is a completely unapologetic series of essays with anecdotes on Eddie Huang's view on his Chinese heritage, Chinese cooking, and being the Chinese minority in a very white world.
I can see why this book doesn't fly with a lot of people, it's very vernacular, rambles on for a few paragraphs at a time, and his unabashed frankness probably offends not a few people. Heck, even I shook my head at some of the things he said about women.
But past the gangster writing, which actually did lend itself to Eddie Huang's message, I found everything he said to be poignant and truthful, especially the criticisms he has about the way Asian Americans try to get by in America. They try not to be the nail that sticks out and gets hammered. Eddie Huang says screw that, he's gonna do what he wants to do and he's going to not give three shits about what anyone else thinks. The best thing is, he's done exactly as he said and really makes one feel ashamed for not doing more.
It's written in a semi autobiographical form with real beautiful nuggets of food poetry. Eddie Huang has a real gift with words and I finished this book hungry due to his description of food, how to make it, and how much care he puts into it. Eddie Huang really loves food guys.
I think that Fresh off the Boat, the tv series, does lack a lot of what is the heart of this book, the criticisms on Asian Americans not withstanding, but that tv series is a fledgling and trying to get off and renewed, which is not a time and place to be a soapbox. I can forgive that. I can see why Eddie was angry with the show as well.
But he says so much with this book, despite it being a short read, and I think it should be mandatory for any Asian American struggling to find their identity to read this book.
Beautiful, beautiful writing. I don't know how he makes those gangsterisms sound like honeyed gold. 5/5
I can see why this book doesn't fly with a lot of people, it's very vernacular, rambles on for a few paragraphs at a time, and his unabashed frankness probably offends not a few people. Heck, even I shook my head at some of the things he said about women.
But past the gangster writing, which actually did lend itself to Eddie Huang's message, I found everything he said to be poignant and truthful, especially the criticisms he has about the way Asian Americans try to get by in America. They try not to be the nail that sticks out and gets hammered. Eddie Huang says screw that, he's gonna do what he wants to do and he's going to not give three shits about what anyone else thinks. The best thing is, he's done exactly as he said and really makes one feel ashamed for not doing more.
It's written in a semi autobiographical form with real beautiful nuggets of food poetry. Eddie Huang has a real gift with words and I finished this book hungry due to his description of food, how to make it, and how much care he puts into it. Eddie Huang really loves food guys.
I think that Fresh off the Boat, the tv series, does lack a lot of what is the heart of this book, the criticisms on Asian Americans not withstanding, but that tv series is a fledgling and trying to get off and renewed, which is not a time and place to be a soapbox. I can forgive that. I can see why Eddie was angry with the show as well.
But he says so much with this book, despite it being a short read, and I think it should be mandatory for any Asian American struggling to find their identity to read this book.
Beautiful, beautiful writing. I don't know how he makes those gangsterisms sound like honeyed gold. 5/5