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barbaraskalberg's review
3.0
3.5
It's rare for me to like a book when I don't like the main character.
It's rare for me to like a book when I don't like the main character.
asurges's review
4.0
I've never been one of those people who gets turned off by a book if the main character is unlikeable, but this novel challenged that assumption.
Kyung is the Americanized son of a Korean couple: in the past, his father beat Kyung's mother, and Kyung is distant from his own wife and son and is incredibly unlikeable. In fact, he's so unlikeable I wanted to applaud the author for being able to stick with him.
However. This book is beautifully written and carefully constructed. Jung Yun is a talented writer who makes her characters accessible and real, and she gave me so much to think about. Not only does she include themes of immigration, but she also includes themes of the past never disappearing, the theme of pushing away our pasts, and family history.
If you are looking for a thoughtful, well-written book about the experience of being an immigrant decades later, this is a novel well worth reading.
Kyung is the Americanized son of a Korean couple: in the past, his father beat Kyung's mother, and Kyung is distant from his own wife and son and is incredibly unlikeable. In fact, he's so unlikeable I wanted to applaud the author for being able to stick with him.
However. This book is beautifully written and carefully constructed. Jung Yun is a talented writer who makes her characters accessible and real, and she gave me so much to think about. Not only does she include themes of immigration, but she also includes themes of the past never disappearing, the theme of pushing away our pasts, and family history.
If you are looking for a thoughtful, well-written book about the experience of being an immigrant decades later, this is a novel well worth reading.
msmullaney's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sujuv's review
4.0
Dark, devastating, riveting, moving and surprising. Even though the ending gives the reader something to hold onto, it's certainly not a book that cares about redeeming its characters or even creating catharsis. It will stick with me.
johndiconsiglio's review
3.0
A Korean American thinks he's put his parent's disappointments behind him. Then a jolting violent act forces them to move in with him, his Boston Irish wife & their young son. This is a book in serious need of a road map; it veers off into spousal abuse, suicide & the collapsing housing market. But the author is undeniably skilled at playing out a scene until the tension overwhelms. (Full disclosure: I interviewed her & she was charming.) The characters’ voices ring true & make unlikely plot threads feel plausible. Best when exploring the burden one generation weighs on the next.
dsbressette's review
4.0
This was a tough read, but I had a hard time stepping away from it. The only complaint I have is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt to me. (4.5/5 stars)
meghan111's review against another edition
4.0
Achingly good domestic literary fiction. Kyung and his wife Gillian have a four-year-old son and a mountain of debt as the book opens. After Kyung's parents suffer an unspeakable, violent ordeal, his relationship to them comes to the forefront, forcing him to confront the deep unhappiness permeating all aspects of his life. This book grapples with the question of recovering from an abusive childhood and the relationship between an adult survivor of childhood abuse and the parents who abused him. It's heavy but not hopeless, and for literary fiction is quite a pageturner.