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ell_jay_em7's review
3.0
DNF- I was reading for a bookclub and didn't finish in time; I decided not to continue. I enjoyed reading it but didn't find it gripping. For me it was more an experience in beautiful language and dialogue.
ohclaire's review
4.0
the speculative elements were not as prominent as I thought they'd be but Jordan's narratorial voice is phenomenal & I'm sure I'll remember this version better than the original Gatsby in ten years.
shelfexplanatory's review against another edition
3.0
I'm just going to cut to the chase with this one - I don't think the expectations that the marketing (and ensuing hype) has set for THE CHOSEN AND THE BEAUTIFUL match with what the book actually is. I think it might be beneficial to level set those expectations.
Read this book if you want:
✓ A lushly told retelling of The Great Gatsby
✓ A hint of mysterious magic
✓ Immersive descriptions of socialite life in prohibition-era New York
But do not expect:
• A bold rewrite of F. Scott Fitzgerald's story: Nghi Vo is quite faithful to the original plot, including the central relationship
• Queer relationships in the spotlight: they are there, but they happen "off-stage"
• A deep exploration of Jordan's character as a Vietnamese American and/or as a transracial adoptee: these a touched upon but not in great detail
When I read The Great Gatsby in school, the curriculum emphasized the stratification of old money, the "nouveau riche," and the working class. TCATB takes that a step further by emphasizing the role of race in the equation.
The Buchanans, especially, become caricatures of white privilege: we hear xenophobic sentiments from Tom and are shown Daisy's white fragility. These are based on details that actually already existed in Fitzgerald's story, but TCATB has us experience them through the eyes of Jordan, a transracial adoptee.
Vo also adds an additional undercurrent of xenophobia through the impending "Manchester Act," a law that would seeks to keep "unwanted unworthies" out and repatriate those who have "overstayed their welcome."
I enjoyed the original ideas that TCATB brought to the table, but I wish that they were more frequent and had more impact on the trajectory of the plot. Vo does extend the ending past the ending of Gatsby, and the liberties that she takes there is what I would have liked to see more of throughout the book. I'd be interested in a sequel about Jordan's life after the events of this book, where we could truly see Vo's creative freedom separate from Fitzgerald's source material.
Overall, although this was an enjoyable read, I was ultimately disappointed by it. I can't help but wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if my expectations weren't so far off from what the book actually was. If you are coming into this primarily for the queer story, I suggest reading one of Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle novellas instead.
Thanks to Tor.com and NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader's copy.
Read this book if you want:
✓ A lushly told retelling of The Great Gatsby
✓ A hint of mysterious magic
✓ Immersive descriptions of socialite life in prohibition-era New York
But do not expect:
• A bold rewrite of F. Scott Fitzgerald's story: Nghi Vo is quite faithful to the original plot, including the central relationship
• Queer relationships in the spotlight: they are there, but they happen "off-stage"
• A deep exploration of Jordan's character as a Vietnamese American and/or as a transracial adoptee: these a touched upon but not in great detail
When I read The Great Gatsby in school, the curriculum emphasized the stratification of old money, the "nouveau riche," and the working class. TCATB takes that a step further by emphasizing the role of race in the equation.
The Buchanans, especially, become caricatures of white privilege: we hear xenophobic sentiments from Tom and are shown Daisy's white fragility. These are based on details that actually already existed in Fitzgerald's story, but TCATB has us experience them through the eyes of Jordan, a transracial adoptee.
Vo also adds an additional undercurrent of xenophobia through the impending "Manchester Act," a law that would seeks to keep "unwanted unworthies" out and repatriate those who have "overstayed their welcome."
I enjoyed the original ideas that TCATB brought to the table, but I wish that they were more frequent and had more impact on the trajectory of the plot. Vo does extend the ending past the ending of Gatsby, and the liberties that she takes there is what I would have liked to see more of throughout the book. I'd be interested in a sequel about Jordan's life after the events of this book, where we could truly see Vo's creative freedom separate from Fitzgerald's source material.
Overall, although this was an enjoyable read, I was ultimately disappointed by it. I can't help but wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if my expectations weren't so far off from what the book actually was. If you are coming into this primarily for the queer story, I suggest reading one of Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle novellas instead.
Thanks to Tor.com and NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader's copy.
mjoybo's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shelby1994's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ethers_elixirs's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Beautiful and sexy and sad. Should have been gayer.
dbggonz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
smbrenning's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
illiteratewench's review against another edition
4.25
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo is a queer, fantasy retelling of the Great Gatsby from the perspective of a reimagined Jordan Baker. The prose is absolutely beautiful. I was already interested in reading Nghi Vo and I'm very impressed with her writing.
Jordan was adopted from Vietnam as a baby by Eliza Baker, a Christian missionary, and is raised by Eliza's parents after her death in the town of Louisville, alongside Daisy. As a retelling, this doesn't really stray far from the original story, despite some of the big changes. The fantasy element is light and we don't really get much explanation about it. Rather, it's an accepted reality of their world. As an aesthetic, I feel like it worked with the original and its themes of excess wealth and being distracted by beauty. The magical drink demoniac also worked in tandem with the prohibition. The original characters of Tom, Daisy, Nick and Gatsby felt really preserved, despite the added queerness to some of them. I feel like Vo really understands the original novel. As a fan of The Great Gatsby myself, I found her retelling interesting with its changes but also comforting to return this story, even if in a new light.
In terms of Jordan's racial identity, I found it compelling. She's been raised knowing she's different, and I saw a lot of myself in how she grappled with growing up Asian in White America. While I couldn't relate to everything, I still felt really touched by how Vo wrote Jordan's race, she's a character who has gotten used to navigating being the Other in a white social circle, but runs when confronted with others who share her background. For example, in the scene where she first meets Daisy, Daisy asks her about Vietname. Despite Jordan not remembering anything, she starts to lie and exoticise herself to become more interesting to Daisy.
The scenes and interactions with Kai really hurt my heart and I had to put the book down at some point because of how much it was making me *feel*. As historical fiction, it felt well researched and I learnt something when it came to the Manchester Act, a fictional act in the book that plays off the real world The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Immigration Act of 1924. Vietnam is also called Tonkin by the American characters throughout the story.
Jordan was adopted from Vietnam as a baby by Eliza Baker, a Christian missionary, and is raised by Eliza's parents after her death in the town of Louisville, alongside Daisy. As a retelling, this doesn't really stray far from the original story, despite some of the big changes. The fantasy element is light and we don't really get much explanation about it. Rather, it's an accepted reality of their world. As an aesthetic, I feel like it worked with the original and its themes of excess wealth and being distracted by beauty. The magical drink demoniac also worked in tandem with the prohibition. The original characters of Tom, Daisy, Nick and Gatsby felt really preserved, despite the added queerness to some of them. I feel like Vo really understands the original novel. As a fan of The Great Gatsby myself, I found her retelling interesting with its changes but also comforting to return this story, even if in a new light.
In terms of Jordan's racial identity, I found it compelling. She's been raised knowing she's different, and I saw a lot of myself in how she grappled with growing up Asian in White America. While I couldn't relate to everything, I still felt really touched by how Vo wrote Jordan's race, she's a character who has gotten used to navigating being the Other in a white social circle, but runs when confronted with others who share her background. For example, in the scene where she first meets Daisy, Daisy asks her about Vietname. Despite Jordan not remembering anything, she starts to lie and exoticise herself to become more interesting to Daisy.
The scenes and interactions with Kai really hurt my heart and I had to put the book down at some point because of how much it was making me *feel*. As historical fiction, it felt well researched and I learnt something when it came to the Manchester Act, a fictional act in the book that plays off the real world The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Immigration Act of 1924. Vietnam is also called Tonkin by the American characters throughout the story.
Alone I was a charming anomaly, with Kai I was a dangerous conspiracy.
Also how did this book make me like Nick as a hot boy twink? I can totally see him
We were at our best, I decided, when we were just the two of us on our own, but of course that changed once we crossed the threshold.
His large hands curled around my thighs, and there was a kind of Middle Western, old religion fervor to how he devoured me.
I also appreciated how the book critiques
What does it look like when a thousand-year hunger gets a taste of what it's craved?
The thing he had not quite grasped yet, I thought, was that as the master of such a fine place, he wasn't meant to be impressed with them himself, and of course he was.
jenvogel80's review
2.0
This retelling of Gatsby didn’t have enough magic for me. It introduced demons and magic but didn’t expand on it nearly enough for my taste.