Reviews

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

amandat's review against another edition

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reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Stories started to blend together after a while, so I put it down and would only pick it up to read one story at a time.  I can only remember a few and the one I remember most is the first one - the best in the collection by far.

netflix_and_lil's review against another edition

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4.0

It became clear almost immediately that this was written by a poet. There was an economy to each story that left me wanting more, but ensured nothing overstayed it's welcome. Strong storytelling throughout and the focus on familial relationships got me misty-eyed. I will definitely be seeking out the poetry collections of Souvankham Thammavongsa.

I especially loved the titular story 'How to Pronounce Knife', as well as 'Randy Travis' and 'You Are So Embarrassing'. And 'The Gas Station' is now one of my favourite short stories ever written. That last paragraph held my heart in its FIST.

lsparrow's review against another edition

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4.0

I liked these short stories themed on immigrant (specifically Laos) experience.

cbetch's review against another edition

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4.0

Great!

I don't read collections of short stories often but have seen this cover floating around lots so decided to give it a try. I loved these stories, they felt so real and raw, like accounts from a persons life rather than creative thoughts from a persons brain. I loved being part of these families and these struggles, it was really interesting to me to get a glimpse into the lives of immigrants, mostly second generation, learning how to connect with people. The people who raise them and the people who they are becoming a part of.

My own personal reading journey always tried to connect short stories. It is challenging for me to flip the page and transfer into a whole other life and background and future without trying to connect the dots. While this was challenging for me, I also really loved the snippet of life that I got in each story. It felt like meeting real people, when you just get to know one vital piece of them and are left curious, wanting to know more. Each story got me excited for the next one, the book left me feeling full of experiences, heartbreaks, traumas, celebrations and a sense of pride. Of what my "friends" had overcome.

I loved the connection this book brought me.

bickie's review against another edition

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5.0

"When you're a mother, you create a life and then you watch it go on its own way. It's what you hope for, and want, but when i happens, it happens without you." from "You Are So Embarrassing"

"Back in Laos, the men who worked in this field had been doctors, teachers, farmers with their own land, like my mom...and they picked like it. James had never been anything else, except a kid. James picked like a man who was free...Not long after this, James, at fourteen, became our manager...James had been willing to work for free the first few times...my mother...loved this job and she had been at it much longer than James, but no one had noticed her work at all." from "Picking Worms"

Stunning writing, sharp poignant blunt observant stories.

vishnu_'s review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jayisreading's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

4.5

Thammavongsa took “short” in short stories quite seriously, as a handful of them only took a few minutes to read. However, she packed so much into each story while using sparse prose, much of which focused on what it meant to be part of an immigrant family in Canada. One could almost think of these stories as short reels of day-to-day life for different Lao families, since these stories magnified the seemingly more mundane moments. While each story is self-contained, I immediately understood Thammavongsa’s intention to present a deeply complex and vibrant community of Lao immigrants and refugees, and I especially appreciated that many of these characters deeply reflected on their identity. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

heyitsamandarae's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

berenjena's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

jpyper's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0