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keliterate's review
3.0
Unquiet Heart Soliloquy is a hotpot of a lot of things—racial identity, the struggle for intimacy, capitalist critique, and feelings of loneliness and directionless. There were many moments while reading where I had to pause and think about what I’d just read, especially as Chow introduced a myriad of terms and thought-provoking statements.
It truly is written in a Before Sunrise way, and while Chow’s prose was certainly very striking, I had trouble connecting with the book. I struggle to piece the story together as each chapter was vastly different from the last. It made me wonder if this was better off as an anthology of essays—because there were times it felt like that. I feel like it could’ve done more justice to Chow’s writing if it were written in that format, without this overarching plot constraint limiting the flow of thought. I say this as the main plot point is quite weak—and I honestly enjoyed the discussions when they were the primary focus.
It’s also quite culture rich—filled with tidbits of Asian culture that’ll either make you think “yup, that’s so Asian” or… it’ll make you hungry. Chow writes about human emotions as well as he writes about food—that visceral (and ironic) fear and hunger for satiation.
It truly is written in a Before Sunrise way, and while Chow’s prose was certainly very striking, I had trouble connecting with the book. I struggle to piece the story together as each chapter was vastly different from the last. It made me wonder if this was better off as an anthology of essays—because there were times it felt like that. I feel like it could’ve done more justice to Chow’s writing if it were written in that format, without this overarching plot constraint limiting the flow of thought. I say this as the main plot point is quite weak—and I honestly enjoyed the discussions when they were the primary focus.
It’s also quite culture rich—filled with tidbits of Asian culture that’ll either make you think “yup, that’s so Asian” or… it’ll make you hungry. Chow writes about human emotions as well as he writes about food—that visceral (and ironic) fear and hunger for satiation.
anushka_adishka_diaries's review
3.0
“ The city always sees you, remember that—even with
your melancholia in one step and weariness in the other.“
your melancholia in one step and weariness in the other.“
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