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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I felt a connection to this character but as events unfolded just watched her standby. It definitely evoked strong feelings for themes of family, career, duty and what it's like being Chinese American.
Lovely debut novel, the main character is lovely and entertaining. I feel it lacked a bit of plot, though.
Weike Wang is one of the most economical writers I've ever read, and I love her for it. Take for example, the title, which is essentially everything her protagonist (a quintessentially economical person) wants everyone to know. She is okay. She doesn't need to be fixed. She knows she's a little weird and she's made accommodations to ease others discomfort with it: for example, she doesn't take off her coat in front of neighbors after work if her scrubs are covered in blood (she's a dedicated and successful ICU doctor). And yet, no one in this book will listen. It's as if they think the rest of her life hasn't kept up with her professional status and they know how to fix what's missing - apartment furniture (she has virtually none), husband and kids, fashion sense, a social life, a raise at work. None of this matters to Joan who is very satisfied with a life that is all work. Her lack of interest in a raise is interpreted by her boss as a clever bargaining chip for more money ;)
The book is narrated in the first person, and I absolutely loved Joan's voice. She is calmly, honestly literal in a way that often borders on comedy. Some examples:
Her new neighbor tells her that he used to work in a large publishing house, but he left because he didn't like the feeling of being a cog in a machine. Her response:
This neighbor also gave her piles of books, which she thought of as stalagmites growing all around her apartment. At one point he handed her Grapes of Wrath:
All is not low-key comedy though. While Joan doesn’t indulge in lengthy ruminations, there is plenty of opportunity to see elements of what made Joan the way she is in her memories as a child and sister of immigrants.
The one weakness of this novel, especially as compared to her first book, [b:Chemistry|31684925|Chemistry|Weike Wang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479350390l/31684925._SY75_.jpg|52358042], is that the author (a former chemistry student) doesn’t quite have the same grasp of the medical profession. However she clearly did her research, as in this passage:
The book is narrated in the first person, and I absolutely loved Joan's voice. She is calmly, honestly literal in a way that often borders on comedy. Some examples:
Her new neighbor tells her that he used to work in a large publishing house, but he left because he didn't like the feeling of being a cog in a machine. Her response:
"Did or didn't? I asked, hoping I'd just misheard. Cogs were essential and an experience anyone could enjoy."
This neighbor also gave her piles of books, which she thought of as stalagmites growing all around her apartment. At one point he handed her Grapes of Wrath:
"I turned the book over and read the description: a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, transcendental gospel about the Great Depression. Whose grapes again? I asked."
All is not low-key comedy though. While Joan doesn’t indulge in lengthy ruminations, there is plenty of opportunity to see elements of what made Joan the way she is in her memories as a child and sister of immigrants.
The one weakness of this novel, especially as compared to her first book, [b:Chemistry|31684925|Chemistry|Weike Wang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479350390l/31684925._SY75_.jpg|52358042], is that the author (a former chemistry student) doesn’t quite have the same grasp of the medical profession. However she clearly did her research, as in this passage:
As new doctors, we were warned that medical training would flatten us. The learning curve was relentless, akin to drinking from a fire hydrant or the fattening of ducks to make foie gras. I’d never tasted foie gras before nor did I want to be a duck, so the open fire hydrant analogy it was. A person sits eye level with the barrel and grapples it. She is pounded in the face by knowledge while her facial features are erased.”
Like Joan, this book was just okay. But not “okay” in an inadequate way, “okay” in an it accomplished everything it needed to accomplish and a bit more sort of way.
They really bury the lede in this one with that flip about halfway through!
This is an interesting read -- be warned it is a continuous stream of thought with no chapters, though there are page breaks -- and I really liked the character of Joan and her mother.
Still processing a bit on this one and also thinking of the future of Joan and her family.
This is an interesting read -- be warned it is a continuous stream of thought with no chapters, though there are page breaks -- and I really liked the character of Joan and her mother.
Still processing a bit on this one and also thinking of the future of Joan and her family.
i thought this novel was just fine. not brilliant, but good. joan was an interesting character, but the novel was maybe too sparse for me. like -- until the end when it got real about the pandemic i felt like there wasn't much going on but a bunch of sporadic thoughts. i maybe wish it had more of a story. joan had a lot of depth as a character....i wish the story had more story.
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated