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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Even though I didn't catch all the slang or references to hip hop, as someone with immigrant parents, who never really fit in anywhere, and loves food, I could relate to so much. I highly recommend listening to the audio book. His voice is real, his laugh infectious. Like a friend telling you his story.
I’ve been an avid watcher of the show, Fresh Off The Boat and I loved everything about it. The book is so different than the show. I wasn’t a fan of the beginning of the book because I couldn’t relate to all the violence and acting out; however, I’ve never related more to a book than this one. Eddie’s struggles were my struggles but I conformed and wanted to please Americans, especially white people. His whole story resonated with me. (At first I was disappointed that the book isn’t more like the show, but I loved this book by the end and wished the show was more like the book.)
Some people will not get this book at all. For the people who do, it can be hilarious and thought-provoking. Since there's a code-switch function in my brain, the language made sense to me and didn't bother me like it may for other readers (heads up: there's a considerable amount of profanity, violence, drug references, etc.) I thought this memoir was fascinating and entertaining; the author has definitely led an interesting life that does not fit the "model minority" stereotype. I also love reading decent descriptions of food and recipes, especially within an Asian-American context, so if that's something you're looking for, then this might be a book to look into.
Also, this excerpt:
'When Chinese people cook Chinese food or Jamaicans cook Jamaican, there's no question what's going on. Just make it taste good. When foreigners cook our food, they want to infuse their identity into the dish, they have a need to be part of the story and take it over. For some reason, Americans simply can't understand why this bothers us. "I just want to tell my story?!? I loved my vacation to Burma! What's wrong with that?" It's imperialism at work in a sauté pan. You already have everything, do you really, really, really need a Burmese hood pass, too? Can we live?
Writers ask me: "So, should Americans be allowed to cook ethnic food they didn't grow up with?"
I reply by asking: Are you interested in this food because it's a gimmick you can apply to French or New-American food to separate yourself from others? Or, will you educate your customers on where that flavor came from? Will you give credit where it's due or will you allow the media to prop you up as the next Marco Polo taking spices from the Barbarians Beyond the Wall and "refining" them? The most infuriating thing is the idea that ethnic food isn't already good enough because it g--damn is. We were fine before you came to visit and we'll be fine after.'
Also, this excerpt:
'When Chinese people cook Chinese food or Jamaicans cook Jamaican, there's no question what's going on. Just make it taste good. When foreigners cook our food, they want to infuse their identity into the dish, they have a need to be part of the story and take it over. For some reason, Americans simply can't understand why this bothers us. "I just want to tell my story?!? I loved my vacation to Burma! What's wrong with that?" It's imperialism at work in a sauté pan. You already have everything, do you really, really, really need a Burmese hood pass, too? Can we live?
Writers ask me: "So, should Americans be allowed to cook ethnic food they didn't grow up with?"
I reply by asking: Are you interested in this food because it's a gimmick you can apply to French or New-American food to separate yourself from others? Or, will you educate your customers on where that flavor came from? Will you give credit where it's due or will you allow the media to prop you up as the next Marco Polo taking spices from the Barbarians Beyond the Wall and "refining" them? The most infuriating thing is the idea that ethnic food isn't already good enough because it g--damn is. We were fine before you came to visit and we'll be fine after.'
I really didn’t enjoy this book bc the author seemed… irreverent? Toward life in general. I thought it would have a redeeming quality at some point and while I still didn’t really like the author I did really like his observations of life as a Chinese America and that he shared his experiences so clearly. I wish I could have read less about his life fighting and drinking and getting high and more about his observations of life as someone “fresh off the boat” as he says.
Eddie Huang has nothing to say. Unfortunately he thinks that 272 pages of surly, foul-mouthed, incomprehensibly slangy rambling constitutes a story. I hope his cooking is less salty than his language,more inspiring than his story and more satiating than his writing.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I think this book was a really interesting book to read off the heels of Oscar Wao. They’re both very very different books, but the parallels of being a second generation immigrantof any race and ethnicity are so evident in both. So i think that’s what i really enjoyed at the beginning of this book. Eddie Huang has lived a vastly different life from myself and i liked getting to broaden my horizon in that way.
But i think this book started to lose me in the last third. I just started to get tired of Huang - his writing, his personality, it just didn’t really do it for me. The last 100 pages were a bit of a challenge for me to really get into. I think he had some really good lines, and he definitely seem like an intelligent guy, but once you get the ick in a memoir it kind of sours the whole thing and it’s hard to bounce back.
But i think this book started to lose me in the last third. I just started to get tired of Huang - his writing, his personality, it just didn’t really do it for me. The last 100 pages were a bit of a challenge for me to really get into. I think he had some really good lines, and he definitely seem like an intelligent guy, but once you get the ick in a memoir it kind of sours the whole thing and it’s hard to bounce back.
This book isn't for everyone. I thought it wasn't for me when I first started reading it.
Eddie Huang is the owner of Baohaus, a NYC eatery that is one of the hottest places in town. This is his autobiography, the story of his evolution from a confused kids who was fresh off the boat to an entrepreneur and a food celebrity. I really like thisi book because his life experience runs parallel to mine in many ways.
There are difference though, and even though Eddie speaks from a place that is near and dear to my heart, I am from an era that is far removed from Eddie Huang's generation. Hip-hop isn't my thing and I just don't get it. BUT, there are enough commonalities so that I do get where he is coming from. We both were born in Taiwan, we both came to America as young children. We both found our way through the maze that is America. Eddie did it about twenty years after I did, and he did it with far more courage. I went through the Caucasian society by keeping my head down and working at getting better and smarter their way. Eddie did it by figuring out his way and then having the courage and discipline to stay with it. I seethed inwardly at the racial stereotyping and the inequalities inherent in America, Eddie fought those things and more. Literally.
First of all, being the only Chinese kid in the neighborhood is not a good deal. The stereotypes run rampant and people get really ticked if you don't behave the way they want you to behave. Both of us have been through all that and Eddie's stories, while outrageous sounding, smack of the truth. He is as real as it gets, even more real than anyone wants.
The other part of the growing up Chinese/Taiwanese in America is the relationships we have with our families, particularly our parents. There is some hidden genetic code in Chinese parents, they all must have learned from the same book, just like the Tiger mom's book. You never praise your kid, you never let them know just how proud you are of them. Whatever they do is never enough and they are the dumbest, ugliest, the most worthless human beings on earth. While I love my parents, nothing I ever did was right, anything that I did which did not conform to their definitions of success: good grades, assimilation, wealth, and grudging acceptance by the Caucasians. was considered not good enough. So reading that part of the book was intense and had me riveted.
As a matter of fact, this book had me riveted for a good number of instance. Eddie Huang can write, his intelligence overflows the pages. But there are numerous times when he writes in his true street vernacular, those are the times that I really could not understand just what he is saying. But his rhythm, his tone, and his style really does help me transcend the lost in the translation feeling and drives home the points that he wanted to drive home.
I think the most enjoyable parts of the autobiography for me is when he starts talking about the foods of Taiwan and his own study of those foods. His expert descriptions of the street foods had my mouth watering at the memories and his description of his own culinary adventures had me marveling at his talent.
In the end, I think this is a book for the open minded. I don't think the average Food Network groupie would get into the cultural analysis inherent in the book. Many Chinese people would be horrified at some of young Eddie's adventures. It certainly won't make Chinese parents happy. In the end, Eddite Huang's honesty and straight as an arrow attitude is very attractive and makes for great reading.
Eddie Huang is the owner of Baohaus, a NYC eatery that is one of the hottest places in town. This is his autobiography, the story of his evolution from a confused kids who was fresh off the boat to an entrepreneur and a food celebrity. I really like thisi book because his life experience runs parallel to mine in many ways.
There are difference though, and even though Eddie speaks from a place that is near and dear to my heart, I am from an era that is far removed from Eddie Huang's generation. Hip-hop isn't my thing and I just don't get it. BUT, there are enough commonalities so that I do get where he is coming from. We both were born in Taiwan, we both came to America as young children. We both found our way through the maze that is America. Eddie did it about twenty years after I did, and he did it with far more courage. I went through the Caucasian society by keeping my head down and working at getting better and smarter their way. Eddie did it by figuring out his way and then having the courage and discipline to stay with it. I seethed inwardly at the racial stereotyping and the inequalities inherent in America, Eddie fought those things and more. Literally.
First of all, being the only Chinese kid in the neighborhood is not a good deal. The stereotypes run rampant and people get really ticked if you don't behave the way they want you to behave. Both of us have been through all that and Eddie's stories, while outrageous sounding, smack of the truth. He is as real as it gets, even more real than anyone wants.
The other part of the growing up Chinese/Taiwanese in America is the relationships we have with our families, particularly our parents. There is some hidden genetic code in Chinese parents, they all must have learned from the same book, just like the Tiger mom's book. You never praise your kid, you never let them know just how proud you are of them. Whatever they do is never enough and they are the dumbest, ugliest, the most worthless human beings on earth. While I love my parents, nothing I ever did was right, anything that I did which did not conform to their definitions of success: good grades, assimilation, wealth, and grudging acceptance by the Caucasians. was considered not good enough. So reading that part of the book was intense and had me riveted.
As a matter of fact, this book had me riveted for a good number of instance. Eddie Huang can write, his intelligence overflows the pages. But there are numerous times when he writes in his true street vernacular, those are the times that I really could not understand just what he is saying. But his rhythm, his tone, and his style really does help me transcend the lost in the translation feeling and drives home the points that he wanted to drive home.
I think the most enjoyable parts of the autobiography for me is when he starts talking about the foods of Taiwan and his own study of those foods. His expert descriptions of the street foods had my mouth watering at the memories and his description of his own culinary adventures had me marveling at his talent.
In the end, I think this is a book for the open minded. I don't think the average Food Network groupie would get into the cultural analysis inherent in the book. Many Chinese people would be horrified at some of young Eddie's adventures. It certainly won't make Chinese parents happy. In the end, Eddite Huang's honesty and straight as an arrow attitude is very attractive and makes for great reading.
I didn't like it, but from what I read, he probably wouldn't care.
dnf @ 37%
Not really feeling this and I can't get myself to push through it when there are other books grabbing my attention at the moment. I really don't think my opinion would have changed if I stuck it out so I'm just not going to bother. Not awful or anything, just very m e h.
Not really feeling this and I can't get myself to push through it when there are other books grabbing my attention at the moment. I really don't think my opinion would have changed if I stuck it out so I'm just not going to bother. Not awful or anything, just very m e h.
I haven't seen an episode of the sitcom, but today I finished listening to the memoir on which it's based. Apparently the show is only loosely based on the book; I didn't laugh much, but I really enjoyed Huang's story.