Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning

i don't read many non-fiction books, but i'm so glad i picked this one up. while i was vaguely aware of the troubles asian-americans had to face, cathy brought so many details and often overlooked experiences to the forefront in such a way that one can't ignore it. will be re-reading and looking for other books by her.

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leweylibrary's review against another edition

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4.75

There's a lot going on in this book, and I'm glad that I at least read a good half of it as a physical copy rather than the audiobook I finished with. The author is a poet, and that is much clearer when I'm reading a physical copy and can mark parts that stand out to me. I read this for a book club, but I missed the last meeting. In the sessions I did go to, we had really rich discussions that elevated my opinion of the book greatly. The first half dealt a lot more with more abstract concepts and literature, but the second half moves more into talking about herself and her background in art and poetry while delving into deeper issues like her "bad English," internment camps, and the brutal rape and murder of a prominent Asian American artist.

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dauhns_booklist's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

It's such a refreshing change to read an Asian-American's work that is so angry and expressive and needy and emotional. Especially because it's her own personal story, and not something she's making up about a fictional character. To put yourself out there, to talk about your faults and desires and mistakes, takes immense courage and boldness and also a strong ego. I don't think I've seen many Asian people do something like that.

This book was truly so intense. At times cathartic, at others maddening or sickening, and still at others funny. I was on a rollercoaster ride through most of it. She adds a lot of really painful and shocking history (recent and old) in the book, I think those parts were the hardest to read.

She also phrased some things about racism and feelings of racism as an Asian-American so well, and those were the parts I felt catharsis from. For example, how we feel about our parents as less and less of heroes and more as people we need to protect in this country because of their inability to fit in perfectly or fight against racism. There were so many points made that had me feeling like I needed to read it over and over and reflect on it for longer.

I want to recommend this book to everyone, but at the same time it was so heartbreaking, infuriating, and shocking, that I need to disclose trigger warnings with the recommendation. If you have not read this book yet, please know that it’s been a life-changing book for many many people, and is truly an important work of modern American literary history.

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siobhanward's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

4.0

This book was well-written and felt really raw at points. Hong's exploration of Asian American identity and the intersectionality of race and art was honest and at times challenging to read. I really found her discussion of creating art as a person of colour to be interesting, especially when she points out that POC artists are expected to create "spectacles" that are large enough and racially traumatic enough to be interesting to others. Honestly, that really makes a lot of sense - so many books from POC authors that make best seller or book club lists are deeply rooted in racial trauma. It's rare that I see a POC author's name next to a best selling thriller or romance. Honestly, this gave me a lot to think about when I'm consuming media.

I found the second part of the book just wasn't as strong as the first - there was a lot of focus on Hong's university friends, which took away a bit from her story. It just didn't feel like it fit the narrative set in the fist part, but the book was still really well done and absolutely worth a read, even if it's just to help recognize some of your own biases or things you just don't always consider.

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questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

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3.5

This book was definitely too clever for me but I feel like I still got a lot out of it. It's a collection of essays which I found really interesting but I also got a bit lost sometimes. Cathy Park Hong is a poet and some of her writing was a bit dense for me and some of the concepts went over my head. However I'm glad I read it and I don't think I've read another book like it.

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megmu18's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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vaniavela's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Cathy Park Hong blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to expose the truth of racialized consciousness in America.

The writing is beautifully written and insightful, exploring important themes such as friendships, mental health, and racial identity. The essays were deeply personal and I could feel her emotions through the paper.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and although I could not relate to her experiences, I loved the narrative, rich with history and ideas.

tw: racism, rape/sexual assault, , family neglect/abuse, alcoholism, drug use, suicide mention, trauma.

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juliatsang's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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