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timna_wyckoff's review
3.0
Hmm. Read for book club. SO interested to hear what others thought. I know it's a retelling, which maybe introduced constraints that explain some of the things that didn't quite work for me? Not sure what I think about this one yet.....
bippityboppityboop's review
4.0
So I had no idea that this was a retelling of The Brothers Karamozov until I finished reading and read some reader reviews. I thought it read much more like a soap opera than a classic Russian tome—which I liked a lot! The omniscient narration style is unique. I recommend this book if you like family drama, immigrant stories, light mystery, and you aren’t in the mood for many laughs.
ramreadsagain's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
I couldn’t get into this at all, I was just so bored but it cost me like £15 so I was determined to finish it
thebookishelf's review
4.0
The story revolves around the Chao family and their restaurant, Fine Chao. Leo and Winnie Chao are Chinese immigrants who operate the Fine Chao Chinese restaurant in Haven, Wisconsin. They have three kids, William 'Dagou,' Ming, and James, who are all attractive but extremely distinct in personality. Leo Chao is a dominating and vicious guy who never misses an opportunity to humiliate his wife and sons, as well as engage in any amount of dishonesty and deception. He is despised even by the immigrant community.
For thirty-five years, the citizens of Haven have dined and enjoyed the Americanized Chinese cuisine served at the Fine Chao, yet the three boys are constantly regarded as outsiders, with finger-pointing and name-calling, on top of dealing with their father's constant tortures. Dagou, the eldest son, attempted and failed to pursue a career in music and has returned to the restaurant where he started working when his mother fell ill. Ming wants to have as little connection to the town, family, and even his identity as possible, establishing a high-flying profession for himself in New York, while the youngest son James is in college and aspires to be a doctor. Winnie separated from her husband Leo after their son James graduated from high school and became a Buddhist nun and now living a spiritual life.
During Christmas, the brothers join their father and family dog Alf, just before the family hosts their traditional Christmas dinner at their restaurant. A heated and hostile family reunion ensues, with pent-up resentments, secrets, and dishonesty coming to the surface of an already shattered, convoluted, and dysfunctional family dynamic. However, the next morning, Leo Chao's dead body is discovered confined in the restaurant's freezer area. Dagou, whose anger and threats against his father for a promised partnership in the family restaurant were well known by everyone, is arrested and prosecuted.
The restaurant, as well as family members, are in the limelight as a result of the suspected murder. The family must address questions asked not just among themselves, but also by their own community of friends and fellow immigrants, as well as in the eyes of the law, as they are the subject of widespread speculations, open mistrust, and public scrutiny. As we progress through the trial and the family's efforts to clear Dagou's reputation, more secrets are uncovered, while the true identity of the killer remains a mystery. The tale progressively shifts from the evolution of the three brothers to a murder mystery and a courtroom drama. However, the purpose of this story is not to thrill, but rather to examine the psyche of the main characters and the consequences of their acts.
The story of the Chao family isn't just another murder mystery or a look at one particular family's history. Amazingly, this tale is home to a seemingly infinite number of themes and ideas. We have the characters dressed in garbs of confusion about other characters and on the verge of self-assessment and self-denial. And as the narrative progresses, there are strange thoughts reverberating in the heads of the characters. It's as though Lan Samantha Chang's characters are being tortured by their own hopeless states, and no one escapes this anguish, no one! An important theme of the work is on the idea of self-identity and how suppressed or unspoken desires of one character can have an impact on another's actions.
This great work of literature has a significant amount of depth. This isn't just pretty prose; the ideas presented here are profound, philosophical, and significant. Astonishingly, author Chang has a remarkable ability to sense people's feelings, and she meticulously explains why they feel and act the way they do in her tale. The Family Chao is a novel that is both grand and profound, full of grief but also gorgeous, philosophical, mystical, terrifying, beautiful, and not without its comic moments.
For thirty-five years, the citizens of Haven have dined and enjoyed the Americanized Chinese cuisine served at the Fine Chao, yet the three boys are constantly regarded as outsiders, with finger-pointing and name-calling, on top of dealing with their father's constant tortures. Dagou, the eldest son, attempted and failed to pursue a career in music and has returned to the restaurant where he started working when his mother fell ill. Ming wants to have as little connection to the town, family, and even his identity as possible, establishing a high-flying profession for himself in New York, while the youngest son James is in college and aspires to be a doctor. Winnie separated from her husband Leo after their son James graduated from high school and became a Buddhist nun and now living a spiritual life.
During Christmas, the brothers join their father and family dog Alf, just before the family hosts their traditional Christmas dinner at their restaurant. A heated and hostile family reunion ensues, with pent-up resentments, secrets, and dishonesty coming to the surface of an already shattered, convoluted, and dysfunctional family dynamic. However, the next morning, Leo Chao's dead body is discovered confined in the restaurant's freezer area. Dagou, whose anger and threats against his father for a promised partnership in the family restaurant were well known by everyone, is arrested and prosecuted.
The restaurant, as well as family members, are in the limelight as a result of the suspected murder. The family must address questions asked not just among themselves, but also by their own community of friends and fellow immigrants, as well as in the eyes of the law, as they are the subject of widespread speculations, open mistrust, and public scrutiny. As we progress through the trial and the family's efforts to clear Dagou's reputation, more secrets are uncovered, while the true identity of the killer remains a mystery. The tale progressively shifts from the evolution of the three brothers to a murder mystery and a courtroom drama. However, the purpose of this story is not to thrill, but rather to examine the psyche of the main characters and the consequences of their acts.
The story of the Chao family isn't just another murder mystery or a look at one particular family's history. Amazingly, this tale is home to a seemingly infinite number of themes and ideas. We have the characters dressed in garbs of confusion about other characters and on the verge of self-assessment and self-denial. And as the narrative progresses, there are strange thoughts reverberating in the heads of the characters. It's as though Lan Samantha Chang's characters are being tortured by their own hopeless states, and no one escapes this anguish, no one! An important theme of the work is on the idea of self-identity and how suppressed or unspoken desires of one character can have an impact on another's actions.
This great work of literature has a significant amount of depth. This isn't just pretty prose; the ideas presented here are profound, philosophical, and significant. Astonishingly, author Chang has a remarkable ability to sense people's feelings, and she meticulously explains why they feel and act the way they do in her tale. The Family Chao is a novel that is both grand and profound, full of grief but also gorgeous, philosophical, mystical, terrifying, beautiful, and not without its comic moments.
msmadison's review
4.0
4.5. I found myself ensnared within seconds every time I picked it up, and it made me feel like the reader I wish I was. Lots of opportunity to think about family, inheritance of parental traits, and the eventual and calm truth that people can be more than the things they have been reduced to. Also that life goes on.
caitlynbrett's review
dark
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
vanmiegheml's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
kangaruthie's review
2.0
I wanted to like this one, but I really didn’t. The characters were completely flat, the plot was confusing, and it reinforced many harmful stereotypes about Chinese Americans. Apparently it’s a retelling of a famous classic novel, so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the original.
elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.25
Masterfully executed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Death, Grief, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Medical trauma, and Medical content
courtneyivaska's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5