You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thinking thoughts .... not mad at it but will need to digest a bit and revisit.
Checked this out as an ebook on a whim and... um, it's brilliant! Such a delightful way with words. A lot of showing, not telling. Couldn't put it down. What a joy to read.
3.5 stars
so much about this book confused me. times when the narrator would deviate into a tangent on anti-asian racism (which was often) made the movement of the story somewhat jolted. on a sentence level, this book was wonderfully written; wang’s prose is elaborate but not gaudy. but on a plot level, i didn’t really see what the driving arc was, as well as the characters’ placement. like why the neighbor. the doorman? the other attendings. what does any of it matter. or am i supposed make it up for myself. i don’t know. i’m confused
so much about this book confused me. times when the narrator would deviate into a tangent on anti-asian racism (which was often) made the movement of the story somewhat jolted. on a sentence level, this book was wonderfully written; wang’s prose is elaborate but not gaudy. but on a plot level, i didn’t really see what the driving arc was, as well as the characters’ placement. like why the neighbor. the doorman? the other attendings. what does any of it matter. or am i supposed make it up for myself. i don’t know. i’m confused
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don’t usually listen to books, but I’m glad I listened to this one. I don’t know if I would have been as interested in Joan and her experiences otherwise because there were so much time spent on seemingly unimportant details. Reading this could have felt monotonous, but listening to it was almost meditative, and I became attached to Joan and her very literal experiences and interpretations. She’s rigid, but also poetic, and I enjoyed the illustration of intersectional experiences of daughter of immigrants; and single, childless woman.
Don't worry, Joan is okay. She really is. In this novel, Weike Wang explores a character that is a work-a-holic. Joan is a doctor who volunteers to pick up shifts and dreads idle time. Her great work ethic has lead to her great sucess and from this she gains much satisfaction. But despite her willpower, the world throws her way a family death, a pesky neighbour, a nosy doorman, and worst enemy of all, Human Resources! These events force Joan to spend time away from work to reflect on her family, her life, and her asian identity. So the real question Weike Wang asks here is, will Joan change?
I found this book to be well written, light to read, and creatively executed. One thing I wish Weike Wang could have spent more time on is making her themes more complex.
I found this book to be well written, light to read, and creatively executed. One thing I wish Weike Wang could have spent more time on is making her themes more complex.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes