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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
2.5 stars. Some funny observations on specific cities in the Bay Area (given I live here), but overall underwhelming given the publicity comparing to Crazy Rich Asians. More The Nest than CRA for sure.
IQ "They didn't yet understand that as one grew older, as one's own children aged and moved away, your own self came increasingly back into focus. Life became definitively finite, increasingly so, and your desire for pleasure grew each day." (239)
I think comparisons to CRAZY RICH ASIANS is a bit lazy, this book is not nearly as funny or focused on the materialistic side. It's also more focused on Chinese Americans than Chinese abroad whereas Crazy Rich Asians only has Rachel as the "Chinese American" voice. And unlike CRA which has a great sense of place the Silicon Valley setting failed to stand out. I also had little investment in the characters which made the story boring, the only ones I was drawn to were Camila and Linda. I wanted to know more about Camila and I wanted Linda to narrate the entire book because her biting tone was stellar, "Sometimes Linda wondered whether she had taught her son anything. Didn't Harvard Business School have a class on second wives and end-of-life estate planning? For the tuition it charged, it should at least have offered it as an elective" (124). But unfortunately we spend a lot of time with Kate and Fred who could have been interesting but fall flat. There is lots to be said about the gendered expectations placed on them both and the familial trauma they share having endured Stanley's cruelty but there is nothing new explored here. Kate is a staid character and mostly remains that way throughout the novel, the result being that her "can a woman have it all" dilemma never really feels natural or all that stressful. I wish we at least understood how she and Denny ended up together but even that is a mystery making their marital strife feel like a mere plot device and thus uninteresting. Fred is under a lot of self manifested pressure at work and at home but his story was also uninteresting, he's a passive character whose arc only picks up when something happens to him at the very end. Yes it skewers the classism, racism and sexism of Silicon Valley but none of that felt particularly new or noteworthy.
This book did unexpectedly present the world of healthcare (specifically palliative care and caretakers) and finance in compelling ways. When I finished reading I felt considerably more knowledgable about both worlds than I ever had before. I was also surprisingly moved by Stanley's demise even though he's insufferable but I think that's given the author's focus on how his diagnosis and death affect the family. Kate and Fred's reflections on their childhood are shockingly dark and unexpected, the characters remain fairly closed off though, the author unwilling to probe those memories and their affect any further.
FAMILY TRUST is a heartfelt novel a money obsessed family and the insanity of Silicon Valley culture. If it weren't for Linda's sardonic wit I'm not sure I would have ever finished even though I was curious about what would happen to Stanley. But it was fine overall.
I think comparisons to CRAZY RICH ASIANS is a bit lazy, this book is not nearly as funny or focused on the materialistic side. It's also more focused on Chinese Americans than Chinese abroad whereas Crazy Rich Asians only has Rachel as the "Chinese American" voice. And unlike CRA which has a great sense of place the Silicon Valley setting failed to stand out. I also had little investment in the characters which made the story boring, the only ones I was drawn to were Camila and Linda. I wanted to know more about Camila and I wanted Linda to narrate the entire book because her biting tone was stellar, "Sometimes Linda wondered whether she had taught her son anything. Didn't Harvard Business School have a class on second wives and end-of-life estate planning? For the tuition it charged, it should at least have offered it as an elective" (124). But unfortunately we spend a lot of time with Kate and Fred who could have been interesting but fall flat. There is lots to be said about the gendered expectations placed on them both and the familial trauma they share having endured Stanley's cruelty but there is nothing new explored here. Kate is a staid character and mostly remains that way throughout the novel, the result being that her "can a woman have it all" dilemma never really feels natural or all that stressful. I wish we at least understood how she and Denny ended up together but even that is a mystery making their marital strife feel like a mere plot device and thus uninteresting. Fred is under a lot of self manifested pressure at work and at home but his story was also uninteresting, he's a passive character whose arc only picks up when something happens to him at the very end. Yes it skewers the classism, racism and sexism of Silicon Valley but none of that felt particularly new or noteworthy.
This book did unexpectedly present the world of healthcare (specifically palliative care and caretakers) and finance in compelling ways. When I finished reading I felt considerably more knowledgable about both worlds than I ever had before. I was also surprisingly moved by Stanley's demise even though he's insufferable but I think that's given the author's focus on how his diagnosis and death affect the family. Kate and Fred's reflections on their childhood are shockingly dark and unexpected, the characters remain fairly closed off though, the author unwilling to probe those memories and their affect any further.
FAMILY TRUST is a heartfelt novel a money obsessed family and the insanity of Silicon Valley culture. If it weren't for Linda's sardonic wit I'm not sure I would have ever finished even though I was curious about what would happen to Stanley. But it was fine overall.
A truly slooooowwwww burn. Another read with great plot potential but which fell flat. I often found myself bored with the story. The plot seemed uneven - there are some aspects of it that I thought would have been very interesting to develop and explore more, but weren't. Solid writing, though, and a gorgeous cover.
Really enjoyed. Well written and the characters were flawed but likeable. 3 1/2 stars
slow-paced
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book appealed to me for several reasons.
– it’s set in the San Francisco Bay Area and perhaps more importantly, not just the city itself but also the rest of the Bay Area. Don’t get me wrong, I like the city (well parts of it at least), the husband works there and all, but we live in the East Bay and it’s nice to see other parts of the area talked about.
– it’s a story about East Asian immigrants. They are originally from Taiwan, as are many of those in the Bay Area and I’m always interested in stories about immigration, particularly from Asia.
Also it opens with a whopper of a first sentence.
“Stanley Huang sat, naked but for the thing cotton dressing gown crumpled against the sterile white paper in the hospital room, and listened to the young doctor describe how he would die.”
He’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and this is the story of how he and his family deal with it.
He has a son, Fred, Harvard Business School grad, who’s been trying to make it big in the fintech industry but hasn’t quite yet. His daughter Kate is doing well at a well-known Silicon Valley company but is struggling with the balance of home and work. Also something seems to be up with her husband who is trying to get his start-up going.
Then there is their mother, Stanley’s ex-wife, Linda, perhaps a less-than-usual Asian woman of her time, one who continued working for decades, and yes, even divorced her husband. She’s even been thinking of dating again!
“What was one supposed to say, when one’s now-ex-husband of thirty-four years was struck with such a diagnosis?”
Stanley’s current wife Mary is 28 years younger than him. She’s a former waitress and has devoted her new life to caring for Stanley but now with Stanley dying, his family is suspicious of her motives.
For Stanley has often hinted at his riches – in the millions! Who deserves it more, the one who’s been caring for him in recent years? His children? Linda is determined to make sure her kids get their fair share.
Family Trust is a Silicon Valley story. It is also an Asian family story. It is also an American story. It’s a story about the pursuit of success, about money, about family obligation. There probably will be Crazy Rich Asians comparisons but as someone not a fan of that series, let me just say that Family Trust is better. Its characters are complex yet relatable, its observations of Silicon Valley life and family relationships are astute and witty. A great debut!
Honestly, Linda has some of the best lines.
“The woman likely didn’t even think she spoke English, regarding her as just another sexless Asian dotting her periphery – someone who could be ignored at will, like a houseplant.”
And here’s another – apparently there are differences according to where you landed up as an immigrant.
“Everyone knew that the best Chinese immigrants of their generation were settled in California, and mostly in the Bay Area. There were some in Los Angeles, but then you ran the risk of ending up with some sleazy import/exporter. And Linda had no intention of being matched with some grocery store operator in, say, Reno.”
“She knew exactly how Americans saw women like the Mercedes driver – as indistinguishable from herself. An Asian lady consumed with the creation and consumption of money, who neglected to hug her children. Why did white people like to pick and choose from cultures with such zealous judgment? Of course they just loved Szechuan cuisine served by a young waitress in a cheap cheongsam, but as soon as you proved yourself just as adept at the form of capitalism they had invented? Then you were obsessed. Money crazed. Unworthy of sympathy.”
– it’s set in the San Francisco Bay Area and perhaps more importantly, not just the city itself but also the rest of the Bay Area. Don’t get me wrong, I like the city (well parts of it at least), the husband works there and all, but we live in the East Bay and it’s nice to see other parts of the area talked about.
– it’s a story about East Asian immigrants. They are originally from Taiwan, as are many of those in the Bay Area and I’m always interested in stories about immigration, particularly from Asia.
Also it opens with a whopper of a first sentence.
“Stanley Huang sat, naked but for the thing cotton dressing gown crumpled against the sterile white paper in the hospital room, and listened to the young doctor describe how he would die.”
He’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and this is the story of how he and his family deal with it.
He has a son, Fred, Harvard Business School grad, who’s been trying to make it big in the fintech industry but hasn’t quite yet. His daughter Kate is doing well at a well-known Silicon Valley company but is struggling with the balance of home and work. Also something seems to be up with her husband who is trying to get his start-up going.
Then there is their mother, Stanley’s ex-wife, Linda, perhaps a less-than-usual Asian woman of her time, one who continued working for decades, and yes, even divorced her husband. She’s even been thinking of dating again!
“What was one supposed to say, when one’s now-ex-husband of thirty-four years was struck with such a diagnosis?”
Stanley’s current wife Mary is 28 years younger than him. She’s a former waitress and has devoted her new life to caring for Stanley but now with Stanley dying, his family is suspicious of her motives.
For Stanley has often hinted at his riches – in the millions! Who deserves it more, the one who’s been caring for him in recent years? His children? Linda is determined to make sure her kids get their fair share.
Family Trust is a Silicon Valley story. It is also an Asian family story. It is also an American story. It’s a story about the pursuit of success, about money, about family obligation. There probably will be Crazy Rich Asians comparisons but as someone not a fan of that series, let me just say that Family Trust is better. Its characters are complex yet relatable, its observations of Silicon Valley life and family relationships are astute and witty. A great debut!
Honestly, Linda has some of the best lines.
“The woman likely didn’t even think she spoke English, regarding her as just another sexless Asian dotting her periphery – someone who could be ignored at will, like a houseplant.”
And here’s another – apparently there are differences according to where you landed up as an immigrant.
“Everyone knew that the best Chinese immigrants of their generation were settled in California, and mostly in the Bay Area. There were some in Los Angeles, but then you ran the risk of ending up with some sleazy import/exporter. And Linda had no intention of being matched with some grocery store operator in, say, Reno.”
“She knew exactly how Americans saw women like the Mercedes driver – as indistinguishable from herself. An Asian lady consumed with the creation and consumption of money, who neglected to hug her children. Why did white people like to pick and choose from cultures with such zealous judgment? Of course they just loved Szechuan cuisine served by a young waitress in a cheap cheongsam, but as soon as you proved yourself just as adept at the form of capitalism they had invented? Then you were obsessed. Money crazed. Unworthy of sympathy.”