Scan barcode
blackcatkai's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
a short story collection about the immigrant experience of multiple characters from laos to canada. some are sweet, others heartbreaking, all of them are pretty great looks into culture, family, and belonging (or the search of them). i like the way thammavongsa writes and will probably be reading more of her work in the future. some stories felt a bit cut off, ending at points that felt like there should be more, but i'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys more emotional short story collections or slice of life character driven narratives.
Graphic: Grief, Racism, Abandonment, Classism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Sexism, Misogyny, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault and Infidelity
sorcha's review
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent and Racism
Moderate: Infidelity
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Author: Souvankham Thammavongsa
Genre: Short Stories
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: April 7, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Touching • Illuminating • Fierce
📖 S Y N O P S I S
How to Pronounce Knife combines 14 short stories following both immigrant and refugees trying to make their way in a new world. From language barriers to struggling to make a living this collection illuminates their hopes, disappointments, love affairs, acts of defiance and above all their pursuit of a place to belong.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I first heard about this collection of short stories after in won the Scotiabank Giller Prize (2020). Short stories aren't something I read often, yet something I'd like to explore on a more frequent basis, and this collection was an excellent place to start.
Each story has its place within the collection and they all opened my eyes to an immigrant experience I've never experienced personally. The intimate prose captured my attention and held it through each of the stories. At times I did want more from some of them. They made me stop and think about what it must be like to leave behind everything you know (oftentimes even family), and to find yourself in a place completely foreign to you.
The stories offered a mixture of humour and reality oftentimes making me feel sad and uncomfortable. It explores a wide array of topics including poverty and linguistic boundaries, community and culture, familial relationships and what it's like navigating new places. And because there is no real sense of place, this collection came across as feeling entirely universal.
How to Pronounce Knife is certainly worth picking up for the incredible writing alone, yet you are also likely to come away changed by each of the unique characters. None of the stories had that 'wow' factor, yet as a whole they speak volumes. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this hugely talented writer going forward.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers wanting to learn more about the immigrant/refugee experience
• fans of the short story
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"To know someone's dislikes was to be close to them."
"We lose each other, or the way we know each other gets lost."
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Death of parent, Grief, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Bullying, Child death, and Infidelity
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
dalmavatai's review
- 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? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Xenophobia, Death, Grief, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Racism, and Sexism
thewordsdevourer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
how to pronounce knife reminds me of lucia berlin's stories in all the best ways w/ its subtle melancholy and humor, quick reversals, and tales of the marginalized's many struggles. i like how some of the stories defy social norms and taboos (slingshot and ewwrrrkk in particular), and many dont pan out the way i expected them to.
i also enjoy reading abt laotians of every kind, abt how life turns out for them after the supposed HEA of their successful refugee journeys across the sea or sky. sure, america offers them a new home, but it's def not an easy one, a new reality w/ racism, discrimination, scorn, and indifference from others.
overall, this is a reflective, quiet, bittersweet yet revealing book that is an undoubtedly good read.
Moderate: Sexual content, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Medical content
wanderingtales's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Racism, Infidelity, and Grief
Minor: Rape and Infertility
distilledreads's review
- 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
3.5
“How to Pronounce Knife”: As she watches her father eat his dinner, she thinks of what else he doesn’t know. What else she would have to find out for herself.
“Slingshot”: You can do that with a joke, hide how you feel and mean what you say at the same time, and no one will ask you which it is.
“A Far Distant Thing”: We lose each other, or the way we know each other gets lost.
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault
anna_23's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Rape
sarah984's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer, Grief, Violence, and Pedophilia