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_forestofpages's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism and Racism
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
javafenn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Classism, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Racism
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
vihi_s's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: 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
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongza is a short story collection depicting Laotion immigrants and refugees in daily life. This was a great short read, and a nice break from the Asian inspired fantasy I usually read. It was nice to get the refugee/immigrant perspective.
I loved how unexpected some of the characters are. Thammavangsa writes from the perspective of a seven year old child, a young woman, and old woman, an ex-boxer turned nail salon tech, and a woman obsessed with a country music singer. Each story is unique, but carries the same themes of not fitting in, loneliness, and hopelessness. Don't let that fool you into thinking this is a downer of a read, there was plenty in this that made me smile.
My favorite stories were Slingshot, a story about 70 year old woman who starts a sexual relationship with her 35 year old neighbor; Chick-a-Chee, a story about young immigrant kids going trick-or-treating for the first time; and Mani Pedi, a story about an ex-boxer who starts working at his sister's nail salon and becomes quite popular.
These were a nice look into immigrant life and the unique difficulties they face, but ultimately, these are stories about people's lives and families, the dramatic and the mundane.
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Racism
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Grief and Xenophobia
Minor: War, Death of parent, Sexual content, Death, and Violence
lejam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying