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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
really solid novel. loved its many facets and the profound humanity of it. an impressive piece of work and it's clear how it planted the seeds for pachinko. very moving at times, and compelling always. was not bored once!
I loved this book. yes, it may have been 200 pages too long, but i loved revisiting the characters and picking it back up. I loved Casey Han. I should get a hobby.. maybe not making hats.
At the 75% mark, I asked my sister if she thought it was fair to compare an authors debut to their magnum opus (in this case, Min Jin Lee's Pachinko). And her answer was a resounding no, it's not fair. From a practical standpoint, I agree. To be the author who wrote Pachinko, Lee had to write Free Food For Millionaires. With each book you gain new skills, learn new tricks, etc.
But...
It is very hard to read this after reading (and re-reading and loving) Pachinko and not compare the two. Unfair though it may be, that's where I'm at. Free Food for Millionaires is an epic bildungsroman, following Casey Han throughout her twenties. Along for the ride are her parents, her sister, the colleagues (and lovers) she meets while climbing the corporate ladder, and the lifelong friends/peers who rally her on.
There were parts that I really, really enjoyed. Lee is a skillful writer who can successfully set up a wide cast of characters. However, outside of Casey, many of these characters hit single notes without much growth in their behaviors.
I also struggled with the length of this book. In some places it dragged, and in others, I felt like we needed an extra hundred pages- and when a book is already close to 700 pages, that's a tricky place to be in. It's especially tricky since it took me a month to get through, and within a week I couldn't remember what I'd last read.
Don't get me wrong- I still love Min Jin Lee. My plate is probably a bit too full to really make space for what this book was trying to communicate about race, class, upward mobility and capitalism. My expectations were sky high, and unfortunately they were not met.
But...
It is very hard to read this after reading (and re-reading and loving) Pachinko and not compare the two. Unfair though it may be, that's where I'm at. Free Food for Millionaires is an epic bildungsroman, following Casey Han throughout her twenties. Along for the ride are her parents, her sister, the colleagues (and lovers) she meets while climbing the corporate ladder, and the lifelong friends/peers who rally her on.
There were parts that I really, really enjoyed. Lee is a skillful writer who can successfully set up a wide cast of characters. However, outside of Casey, many of these characters hit single notes without much growth in their behaviors.
I also struggled with the length of this book. In some places it dragged, and in others, I felt like we needed an extra hundred pages- and when a book is already close to 700 pages, that's a tricky place to be in. It's especially tricky since it took me a month to get through, and within a week I couldn't remember what I'd last read.
Don't get me wrong- I still love Min Jin Lee. My plate is probably a bit too full to really make space for what this book was trying to communicate about race, class, upward mobility and capitalism. My expectations were sky high, and unfortunately they were not met.
I really liked this book! The writing was easy to follow but also had depth. I really enjoyed the themes, it really touched on everything (immigration, work, friendship, love, religion, money) but did so in a way that wasn’t too overwhelming. I liked how the author allows you into the minds of all the characters, and she seamlessly shifts whose head the book is in. The only thing I didn’t love is that the ending was unresolved, and I felt like I needed answers. But other than that I really liked the book! Would recommend to anyone looking to read a book that explores many themes and touches on all aspects of life.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes