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2.98 AVERAGE
2.98 AVERAGE
A Quitter's Paradise, debut novel of Elysha Chang, follows a young woman's journey to make sense of herself, to find who she is and what she wants, and to process the grief she holds inside her heart after the death of her mother. Her unique story intertwines with others of Chinese immigrants looking for a chance in America, the struggles they had to face during their lives and their choices.
Let me start by saying that this book is so beautifully written and charming, that I'm already a fan of Elysha Chang. The narration is intimate, poignant, it's almost like reading someone's deepest thoughts: truly beautiful. Many described this book "hilarious": I don't agree with this, the main character is quite unique and quirky at times, but I would never say that she is funny or the book hilarious. In a sense, she reminds me of Keiko of Convenience Store Woman.
The story switch between three POVs and three time periods: this was a bit difficult for me to follow, mostly because I didn't have enough time to connect with the characters and I was unfamiliar with Chinese names (this is a lack on my part), so I struggled a bit with following who was who and doing what. The time jumps were abrupt and breaking the flow and the characters' evolution, which unfortunately made me disconnect and consequently care less about them.
I was more interested in the POV of Eleanor Liu, the main character who hides lots of secrets and has a troubled relationship with her mother even after her passing, and I wish we had the chance to follow her a bit more into her present and her future choices (will she stay with her husband? and most importantly: will she find the marmoset she stole from the lab??).
Overall I enjoyed this book, I just wished the timeline was a bit more defined or linear (personal preference, of course). The writing however is fantastic, so I can't wait for Chang's future works.
* I'd like to thank Elysha Chang, Zando Projects and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. * A Quitter's Paradise is out on June 6th, 2023.
Let me start by saying that this book is so beautifully written and charming, that I'm already a fan of Elysha Chang. The narration is intimate, poignant, it's almost like reading someone's deepest thoughts: truly beautiful. Many described this book "hilarious": I don't agree with this, the main character is quite unique and quirky at times, but I would never say that she is funny or the book hilarious. In a sense, she reminds me of Keiko of Convenience Store Woman.
The story switch between three POVs and three time periods: this was a bit difficult for me to follow, mostly because I didn't have enough time to connect with the characters and I was unfamiliar with Chinese names (this is a lack on my part), so I struggled a bit with following who was who and doing what. The time jumps were abrupt and breaking the flow and the characters' evolution, which unfortunately made me disconnect and consequently care less about them.
I was more interested in the POV of Eleanor Liu, the main character who hides lots of secrets and has a troubled relationship with her mother even after her passing, and I wish we had the chance to follow her a bit more into her present and her future choices (will she stay with her husband? and most importantly: will she find the marmoset she stole from the lab??).
Overall I enjoyed this book, I just wished the timeline was a bit more defined or linear (personal preference, of course). The writing however is fantastic, so I can't wait for Chang's future works.
* I'd like to thank Elysha Chang, Zando Projects and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. * A Quitter's Paradise is out on June 6th, 2023.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an odd and disparate story I enjoyed. Eleanor is a PhD student, from a long line of quitters, who with surprising efficiency nearly blows up her life after she drops out of her program and makes a series of choices concerning the research animals in her husband's lab. The story resides at the muddled intersection of grief, disillusionment, and complacency with surprising clarity.
The writing hit my sweet spot. Eleanor is an analytical and dry individual who is curious and not over-explained. My book club did not vibe this book. They needed more insight into why she made the undeniably odd but rather mundane choices she made. But I found her refreshingly honest and subtly fascinating.
Chang starts with Eleanor in 1st person present day, and goes back to her parents' early years in Taiwan using a 3rd person narrative. It was an efficient way to employ a dual timeline with clarity, even when switching back and forth between Eleanor past and present.
This story is very much about grief and coming to terms with a damaging parental relationship. The animal depictions: not entirely benign but I'm also easily triggered and did not consider DNF. It doesn't go where On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous went (does anything?), as Eleanor's analytical narration keeps the focus on her weirdness. I was enthralled to see what she was going to do next. Which is probably why I enjoyed this book. I couldn't have written it.
It ends with a lot of unanswered questions. Her husband almost seems a different man in the beginning than he does at the end. Eleanor remains messy. This isn't about a transformation of character or becoming better, or even failing. I walked away contemplating the mediocrity that permeates life and the drudgery of getting through it. The little things we do to insulate. Buried under the quirky layers of honesty was a willingness to not succeed I found refreshing.
The writing hit my sweet spot. Eleanor is an analytical and dry individual who is curious and not over-explained. My book club did not vibe this book. They needed more insight into why she made the undeniably odd but rather mundane choices she made. But I found her refreshingly honest and subtly fascinating.
Chang starts with Eleanor in 1st person present day, and goes back to her parents' early years in Taiwan using a 3rd person narrative. It was an efficient way to employ a dual timeline with clarity, even when switching back and forth between Eleanor past and present.
This story is very much about grief and coming to terms with a damaging parental relationship. The animal depictions: not entirely benign but I'm also easily triggered and did not consider DNF. It doesn't go where On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous went (does anything?), as Eleanor's analytical narration keeps the focus on her weirdness. I was enthralled to see what she was going to do next. Which is probably why I enjoyed this book. I couldn't have written it.
It ends with a lot of unanswered questions. Her husband almost seems a different man in the beginning than he does at the end. Eleanor remains messy. This isn't about a transformation of character or becoming better, or even failing. I walked away contemplating the mediocrity that permeates life and the drudgery of getting through it. The little things we do to insulate. Buried under the quirky layers of honesty was a willingness to not succeed I found refreshing.
a series of somewhat mundane events that unfold while eleanor is grieving the death of her mother, a person she realizes she didn’t really know. interspersed with stories about eleanor’s own childhood/ upbringing and her parent’s history, the structure of the book and its writing flowed really well for me so i finished it in one sitting.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
I find most my audiobooks just by seeing what’s immediately available from Libby. This seemed interesting so I borrowed it and wow am i stunned by its incredibly low average rating!!! So far i like it???
It took me a while to really "get" this book - the protagonist is avoidant to the point of self-destruction, and it can be painful and cringe-inducing to watch her potential slip away based on her actions or inactions - but then, her actions are kind of amusing, strange, and make much more sense in the context of grief. I think that's what a lot of these reviews skip - and the structure of the book really embodies the experience of the haze that comes with grief (the time travelling you do to make sense of family histories that are now permanently lost to you). The more I read, the more I saw this very realistic depiction of grief and the lawlessness that follows. It's quite creative, but I can definitely see why it wouldn't click for some readers.
challenging
slow-paced
😟 this was depressing, but not in a tragic way. Just following unpleasant people doing unpleasant things to perpetuate their own and others’ misery. Not what I expected and I’m not sure why I finished it.
I’m not even sure how this book ended
Up in my cart. I felt like it had great potential but it feels like the story never really had a point or closure.
Up in my cart. I felt like it had great potential but it feels like the story never really had a point or closure.
This book was pretty sad. I don't know why it's referred to as humorous as I didn't chuckle once while reading it. I enjoyed the journey of disliking many of the characters.
This book isn't awful, but it's not doing much for me. Flinging it!