Reviews

The Fortunes by Peter Ho Davies

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erincataldi's review against another edition

3.0

Davies (The Welsh Girl) deftly weaves together four stories of the Chinese American experience to create a rich tapestry of what it takes to find acceptance in oneself and in one's country. A nineteenth century laundry worker, a Chinese film star, a friend of someone killed in a hate crime, and a half-Chinese man looking to adopt a Chinese baby; tell their stories of life in America and how their "Chinese-ness" has helped defined their American experience. Their stories are all uniquely different, yet uniquely the same; racism, questions of identity, the need for acceptance, the need to be "all-American" surface in all four stories. Raw, witty, honest, and unflinching, The Fortunes manages to capture the heart of growing up Chinese American in this powerful novel. Impressively narrated by the talented, James Chen, who brings an authenticity to the story with his numerous accents and reserved, yet powerful telling of the story. Davies proves that he's a masterful storyteller in this emotionally gripping novel.

jillcaesar's review against another edition

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4.0

A beautifully-written rumination on Asian-American identity. I liked the first and second stories best ('Gold' is the best-written, while 'Silver' just appealed to me personally). My least favourite was the last story ('Pearl') - I felt ambivalent about the main character and somewhat negatively about his wife. But that's the beauty of this novel, I think - the characters in this book are flawed, realistic human beings. Definitely a book to read if you want to read more about Asian (specifically Chinese) American perspectives.

sakeriver's review against another edition

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‪I’d seen a lot of people recommend this book, and I’m glad I read it. I think as an examination of the history of the Chinese American experience it works well, particularly in thinking about how Chinese American history is American history—and the book is all the more remarkable for having been written by a non-American. I struggled a bit with the character in the fourth section, whose identity at times seems very wrapped up in a desire for proximity to whiteness, even veering toward a certain form of misogyny common among Asian American men (what’s termed “MRAzn”). Though, I also have to admit that my discomfort is at least in part due to recognizing some of the same tendencies from my own younger days. Still, overall I thought it was very well done.

rosiesyrup's review against another edition

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challenging slow-paced

2.0

robynryle's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautiful series of connected stories about the Asian-American experience in the U.S.

readingwithhippos's review against another edition

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4.0

I've been in a bit of a slump lately when it comes to reading, and even more so when it comes to reviewing. At times like these, I need an author to surprise me, to show me something I haven't seen before. Something I can be excited about. A lifeline to pull me out of the reading doldrums.

Enter Peter Ho Davies' new novel, The Fortunes, stage right. Here's what's so cool about it: the book reads more like a set of interconnected novellas than a straightforward novel. There are four discrete storylines, told in separate sections one after another. It's mainly the themes that overlap—immigration, identity, belonging—while the characters and their situations are all very different. Taken together, like a collage, they tell what it has been like to be Chinese-American at various times in history.

My favorite part of the book was how powerfully Davies demonstrates the inherent conflict of being a part of two distinct cultures. His characters do not fit perfectly into either their Chinese or American worlds, seemingly no matter what they do. Thus each one has to define their own identity on their own terms, which was both interesting and gratifying to watch from my readerly perch. I also loved the historical aspect of the novel, as it made real to me some parts of history I was only vaguely aware of, like the construction of transcontinental railroads and the California gold rush.

Here's to authors doing new things and the blessed approach of sweater weather. I'm hopeful the combination of the two will be enough to bust me out of my recent slump.

With sincere regards to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the advance copy. On sale today, September 6!

More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com