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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
“Joan Is Okay” is full of many poignant, piercing lines that made me think more deeply about a myriad of topics and ideas and provided great fodder for discussion with others in the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club.
Even though this was a contemporary novel, at times it had a feeling of being a work of historical fiction since it covered such a momentous piece of recent world history as well as providing a picture of past U.S. policies and treatment of Chinese immigrants. The lack of quotation marks in this book also gave it an interesting feel and reminded me a bit of the free indirect discourse style of Virginia Woolf’s “To The Lighthouse,” but felt much more accessible and hospitable to follow along with. One quality I love in a novel and which this one possesses is when I can learn something new but through a fiction medium where it feels so seamless to take in as it is wrapped up in the plot and character development within an individual’s story.
While this was a pandemic novel, the timeline begins in the fall of 2019 and the pandemic content is moreso in the second half of the book. As the dates in the book crept further along, it felt as if there was a sense of dramatic irony building since today’s reader has already lived through this part of history and knows what is coming, but the characters do not. One really interesting pandemic aspect of this novel was that it had a greater focus on how things were ramping up early on in China and how it affected the people there and impacted people getting together during Chinese holidays.
Very early on in the novel, Joan loses her father who is living on the other side of the world from her, and we get a glimpse into her memories, reflections, and grieving process as the novel unfolds. Within the span of beginning this novel in early January and writing this review, I have attended three funerals, so this novel was relevant to think about as I processed those losses and thought about how to (hopefully) help be there for friends experiencing deep grief. And while the author covers some weighty topics, these were balanced with many moments of levity and humor to keep the reader buoyed and engaged.
Even though this was a contemporary novel, at times it had a feeling of being a work of historical fiction since it covered such a momentous piece of recent world history as well as providing a picture of past U.S. policies and treatment of Chinese immigrants. The lack of quotation marks in this book also gave it an interesting feel and reminded me a bit of the free indirect discourse style of Virginia Woolf’s “To The Lighthouse,” but felt much more accessible and hospitable to follow along with. One quality I love in a novel and which this one possesses is when I can learn something new but through a fiction medium where it feels so seamless to take in as it is wrapped up in the plot and character development within an individual’s story.
While this was a pandemic novel, the timeline begins in the fall of 2019 and the pandemic content is moreso in the second half of the book. As the dates in the book crept further along, it felt as if there was a sense of dramatic irony building since today’s reader has already lived through this part of history and knows what is coming, but the characters do not. One really interesting pandemic aspect of this novel was that it had a greater focus on how things were ramping up early on in China and how it affected the people there and impacted people getting together during Chinese holidays.
Very early on in the novel, Joan loses her father who is living on the other side of the world from her, and we get a glimpse into her memories, reflections, and grieving process as the novel unfolds. Within the span of beginning this novel in early January and writing this review, I have attended three funerals, so this novel was relevant to think about as I processed those losses and thought about how to (hopefully) help be there for friends experiencing deep grief. And while the author covers some weighty topics, these were balanced with many moments of levity and humor to keep the reader buoyed and engaged.
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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:
Complicated
Something about this author's writing completely appeals to me. It could be the wry female characters she creates or her pointed social commentary. This was another winner for me. I loved being in Joan's world and hearing about her awkward interactions with her family, friends, colleagues, and strangers. Through this lens, we also get some social commentary about being an Asian-American woman, a daughter, a sister, and being seen as the other.
Gulped down “Joan is Okay” by @weikewang in a day. I love an odd narrator, and I loved Joan. There is so much to unpack in this book about being other, about being a woman, about being a woman in a traditionally male dominated field. About being the child of immigrants, about belonging, about home. About being a single woman, about being childless- about getting to choose our own definition of what makes us happy. I will be thinking about Joan for a while yet. Also in Canada it is #asianheritagemonth and this book gives us plenty to ponder.
I thought I would enjoy this book. I love the premise of a nerdy woman of color, a doctor, dealing with the death of her father . But what I got was too heady ( as she was always analyzing things), very slow pace and no real plot. I think the main character is autistic but as an autistic person myself I couldn't get into the book because I tend to get bored with existential books. At one moment Seinfeld was mentioned and it was appropriate because I didn't like the show about nothing. At one point I thought it was going to be a book about capitalism but there wasn't a message to hold on too. This book wasn't for me but I'm sure others will love this. It had many good reviews. I did end up DFNing at 75%. I keep trying to go back to it but no luck. It was a decently written book, I loved the culture aspects of the story, and the characters were well developed. Therefore even though it wasn't for me I'm getting it 2.75 stars out of 5 stars.
I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review
I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review
This author has a voice unlike others I’ve read recently - this book stands out in its unique prose and Wang’s weaving of concurrent themes/storylines. I found the main character the victim of misunderstanding. Sometimes I liked her, then I didn’t, and sometimes I felt badly for her in how others treated her and it was poignant, when the author points out that perhaps Joan shouldn’t have been accepting Mark’s influence and attempts at change - perhaps he should have learned from her.
This is quite funny, in a deadpan sort of way, but it can also be very profound at times. Weike Wang uses the absurdity of daily life to make some good points. She also examines immigration from a bunch of angles – from the viewpoint of the daughter of immigrants, and from that of immigrants who’ve returned to their home country.
The main character, Joan, is a Chinese-American doctor in New York City, working in the intensive care unit. She’s a very hard worker, choosing to stay at the hospital every possible moment she can, including holidays. She avoids social and family interaction, and lives in an apartment with no pets, no plants, no television, no books, and minimal furniture. She likes the quiet and the sense of control that she gets in the ICU, dealing with the machines that keep human bodies alive.
The point of this book is that Joan is okay, though. These are her choices, though they aren’t the choices that others would make. However, she is pressured on all sides. The HR Department is trying to promote “wellness” in the hospital, and the descriptions of this endeavor are quite funny. However, they object to her working non-stop, especially when her father dies and she doesn’t take any time for bereavement.
Joan also has to deal with her elder brother in a Connecticut suburb, who is wealthy, status-seeking, and married with three kids. He keeps after her to get married, reproduce, and move to Connecticut, where she could run a hospital. Joan is also dealing with a pushy neighbor who is always giving her things, trying to fill up her bare apartment, and who even holds a surprise gathering for her in her own place. (She ends up surreptitiously leaving and taking the train to Connecticut.)
Joan’s parents are Chinese immigrants who left the US as soon as their two children were in college and went back to China. The tension between the two cultures is depicted skillfully, as it forms a background to Joan’s early life. When her father dies in China, early in the novel, Joan goes there and spends only a couple of days with her mother, and then goes back to work, feeling that she honors her father most when she’s being useful, since her parents sacrificed for her success.
The reader gets to know Joan’s mother when she comes to the US for a holiday, and then is stuck there, because of the Covid pandemic. She tries various schemes to get back to China, but is continually frustrated. She is always going on about how much better things are in China, because she has more control over her own life, echoing Joan's own preferences.
Things speed up towards the end of the book, with the pandemic overtaking Joan and her hospital. Here, it felt a little too rushed, as though the author was trying too hard to make her deadline.
The main character, Joan, is a Chinese-American doctor in New York City, working in the intensive care unit. She’s a very hard worker, choosing to stay at the hospital every possible moment she can, including holidays. She avoids social and family interaction, and lives in an apartment with no pets, no plants, no television, no books, and minimal furniture. She likes the quiet and the sense of control that she gets in the ICU, dealing with the machines that keep human bodies alive.
The point of this book is that Joan is okay, though. These are her choices, though they aren’t the choices that others would make. However, she is pressured on all sides. The HR Department is trying to promote “wellness” in the hospital, and the descriptions of this endeavor are quite funny. However, they object to her working non-stop, especially when her father dies and she doesn’t take any time for bereavement.
Joan also has to deal with her elder brother in a Connecticut suburb, who is wealthy, status-seeking, and married with three kids. He keeps after her to get married, reproduce, and move to Connecticut, where she could run a hospital. Joan is also dealing with a pushy neighbor who is always giving her things, trying to fill up her bare apartment, and who even holds a surprise gathering for her in her own place. (She ends up surreptitiously leaving and taking the train to Connecticut.)
Joan’s parents are Chinese immigrants who left the US as soon as their two children were in college and went back to China. The tension between the two cultures is depicted skillfully, as it forms a background to Joan’s early life. When her father dies in China, early in the novel, Joan goes there and spends only a couple of days with her mother, and then goes back to work, feeling that she honors her father most when she’s being useful, since her parents sacrificed for her success.
The reader gets to know Joan’s mother when she comes to the US for a holiday, and then is stuck there, because of the Covid pandemic. She tries various schemes to get back to China, but is continually frustrated. She is always going on about how much better things are in China, because she has more control over her own life, echoing Joan's own preferences.
Things speed up towards the end of the book, with the pandemic overtaking Joan and her hospital. Here, it felt a little too rushed, as though the author was trying too hard to make her deadline.
inspiring
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:
Yes
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Joan is an interesting character to be stuck with for this book. At the same time, the end of the book doesn't fully fit with the rest of the book. It feels like the author's own coping with COVID rather than a natural end to the book. But that is just my opinion.
TW - the end of the book relives March 2020
TW - the end of the book relives March 2020