Scan barcode
zhongxia's review against another edition
3.0
All of the stories in this collection are subtle in their own ways, detailing the lives of Chinese Americans. The multiple perspectives allow us to glimpse multiple layers of a community. Some of the stories are standouts (Children as Enemies, An English Professor, and A Composer and His Parakeets) but others wasted the interesting themes that they were beginning to touch upon. Some stories felt like beginnings rather than a complete story within themselves.
For example, the first story (The Beauty) seems almost pointless as the narrator discovers his wife's secret. Besides the obvious hypocrisy in this story that reveals the double standards set for men and women, it lacks the stronger themes and emotions of other stories. Part of the charm of this collection is its subtlety, but it can lead to the lack of impact, and the dissatisfaction that comes with it, that was in this story. Even though these stories depict moments, I still expected to feel these moments more than I did or to leave thinking about them.
I also find Ha Jin's writing relatively unspectacular. There was no sentence I underlined, no moment where I was struck by the prose. Except for a few stories, this collection is unmemorable to me.
For example, the first story (The Beauty) seems almost pointless as the narrator discovers his wife's secret. Besides the obvious hypocrisy in this story that reveals the double standards set for men and women, it lacks the stronger themes and emotions of other stories. Part of the charm of this collection is its subtlety, but it can lead to the lack of impact, and the dissatisfaction that comes with it, that was in this story. Even though these stories depict moments, I still expected to feel these moments more than I did or to leave thinking about them.
I also find Ha Jin's writing relatively unspectacular. There was no sentence I underlined, no moment where I was struck by the prose. Except for a few stories, this collection is unmemorable to me.
anatomydetective's review against another edition
4.0
As usual, Jin's clearcut writing manages to portray a variety of characters and situations with both an air of empathy and of scrutiny.
timbooksin's review
3.0
I'm dabbling between 3 and 4 stars. Some of the stories really resonated with me, but the writing style is off-putting. While I'm never left to wonder what happens in a story, each story seems to end abruptly. That said, it's clear that Jin set out to accomplish the representation of "a life" and he does it well. Keeping the setting consistent and the character backgrounds similar made for a rich collection of perspectives on the intergenerational Chinese immigrant experience.
erjona's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fascinating collection of short stories. Loved the immersion in the immigrant Asian community, the tidbits from daily life as an immigrant, the struggles, the importance of tradition, family ties, appearances, and how they all affected the individual characters' lives.
wenz's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
This book was really good, and the stories are an accurate portrayal of the diverse lives Chinese immigrants lead in the US. Highly recommend this read
This book was really good, and the stories are an accurate portrayal of the diverse lives Chinese immigrants lead in the US. Highly recommend this read
mandkips's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Infidelity
jrpoole's review against another edition
3.0
A writer friend once told me he was easily bored by literary realism because the real world is so absurd that it takes surrealism to accurately describe it. Salman Rushdie expresses a similar notion in an interview I often show my ENG 102 classes when he says (I'm paraphrasing) in defense of magic realism that stories don't have to be true in order to get at the truth. Perhaps that's why I had such a muted reaction to this collection, which peddles in impeccably written realism to portray the experiences of Chinese immigrants in America.
Ha Jin is, in many ways, a writer's writer, an editor's dream. He writes sentences so crystalline and flawless that reading him is like letting a gentle current wash you downstream. That effect made me read this book in just a few sittings, but there's something about the degree of polish that renders the effect more intellectual than emotional. I did learn a lot about the Chinese immigrant experience, and some of the stories here (most notably "The Beauty" and "A Composer and His Parakeet") are memorable. It's easy to see why Ha Jin is so rightfully celebrated as a writer, but I hope the next thing I read by him packs a little more visceral wallop.
Ha Jin is, in many ways, a writer's writer, an editor's dream. He writes sentences so crystalline and flawless that reading him is like letting a gentle current wash you downstream. That effect made me read this book in just a few sittings, but there's something about the degree of polish that renders the effect more intellectual than emotional. I did learn a lot about the Chinese immigrant experience, and some of the stories here (most notably "The Beauty" and "A Composer and His Parakeet") are memorable. It's easy to see why Ha Jin is so rightfully celebrated as a writer, but I hope the next thing I read by him packs a little more visceral wallop.
demogakidis's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting stories of Chinese Americans. A quick read.
sophronisba's review against another edition
3.0
Eh. I'm being pretty generous with three stars. I used to love Ha Jin, but I feel like he keeps repeating himself less and less effectively. Not a single truly memorable story in this collection. In fairness, it is probably suffering in comparison to [b:Gold Boy, Emerald Girl: Stories|7711491|Gold Boy, Emerald Girl Stories|Yiyun Li|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279683061s/7711491.jpg|10432987].
carol_kennicott's review against another edition
4.0
A Good Fall is a collection of stories about Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans living in Flushing, New York. Even though there is something different going on in every story, there are common themes that run throughout the book. The main characters are often walking a tightrope between two cultures. I think similar stories could be written by just about any group of immigrants. In that way, I felt that this book was really about humanity—that despite all of our differences, we are all very much the same.