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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
You know how "Crash" won Oscar accolades, and in the fullness of time even more than in the moment, that's embarrassingly on-the-nose about how rich people in LA think that revealing their white or economic guilt absolves them AND is good enough to help them maintain primacy in the industry?
Ok maybe you don't (don't get me started on "La La Land"). Anyhow, this is like the 1990s book version of that (a more logical film comparison might be American Beauty) The plot twist (guess who the real graffitos are!) are not twisty and the internal monologue waits a little too long to contort itself into hatefulness than it really needs to, since you know it's coming.
That being said, there is a specificity to the book that I appreciate, having grown up in South LA and only in the last year gained an understanding of what the Valley and the Hollywood Hills are like demographically (it's also funny to think about an era when a dude newslettering his wildlife constitutionals would consider that a calling, but that was shit was real!). If I had read this book before... 2016 I would have thought the characters even more unbelievable. The only frame of reference I had before living in the north part of the City was how my father would explain to me "yuppiness" and "Santa Barbara" when I was a kid, but these characters are a very specific flavor of exurban... who could have guessed 25 years later that Kanye West would be a public figure of that ilk?
Ok maybe you don't (don't get me started on "La La Land"). Anyhow, this is like the 1990s book version of that (a more logical film comparison might be American Beauty) The plot twist (guess who the real graffitos are!) are not twisty and the internal monologue waits a little too long to contort itself into hatefulness than it really needs to, since you know it's coming.
That being said, there is a specificity to the book that I appreciate, having grown up in South LA and only in the last year gained an understanding of what the Valley and the Hollywood Hills are like demographically (it's also funny to think about an era when a dude newslettering his wildlife constitutionals would consider that a calling, but that was shit was real!). If I had read this book before... 2016 I would have thought the characters even more unbelievable. The only frame of reference I had before living in the north part of the City was how my father would explain to me "yuppiness" and "Santa Barbara" when I was a kid, but these characters are a very specific flavor of exurban... who could have guessed 25 years later that Kanye West would be a public figure of that ilk?
The opening of this book introduces us to two considerably different characters in Los Angeles society. Delaney is a prosperous white house husband married to kyra a successful property agent. Candido is an illegal Mexican refugee hustling for work and living in a canyon with his 17 year old wife America. Delaney knocks Candido down as he is crossing the highway. Delaney an apparently highly moral man who loves the environment is relieved to move on giving Candido $20 but Candido is badly hurt and his work prospects and future are drastically affected.
This opening then lets the reader into the lives of two individuals whose lives then intersect as the story continues. What is interesting about the book is how Delaney and his family change, they live in a affluent part of the city and the tenants association are seeking to build a wall around their properties, initially vehemently opposed Delaney's morals are compromised as he comes into close contact with the immigrant community , as his pet dogs are stolen by a coyote who can leap his fence a metaphor for the invasion of the society by pests, and he perceives his growing problems as being caused by Mexican illegals to the point that by the end he has become almost a gun toting vigilante intent on revenging himself on candido.
Candido and America's plight is appalling and continual indignities are visited upon them that puts them under considerable strain, their back story more poignant by the fact that they are escaping poverty in a promised land that proves to be lethal to them.
A very readable story that set in 1995 suggests that little has changed in the plight and attitudes of immigrants and American society in 2016, the rhetoric of Los Angeles householders echoes the call from trump to build a wall across the border and is very prescient. The alarming part is how quickly the attitudes of a middle class liberal can change under peer pressure and when their personal circumstances are at risk and it was an interesting read well worth trying. Certainly the author is someone I would like read more of as I recently heard a very good short story of his read on The New Yorker podcast which also posed a fascinating moral dilemma.
This opening then lets the reader into the lives of two individuals whose lives then intersect as the story continues. What is interesting about the book is how Delaney and his family change, they live in a affluent part of the city and the tenants association are seeking to build a wall around their properties, initially vehemently opposed Delaney's morals are compromised as he comes into close contact with the immigrant community , as his pet dogs are stolen by a coyote who can leap his fence a metaphor for the invasion of the society by pests, and he perceives his growing problems as being caused by Mexican illegals to the point that by the end he has become almost a gun toting vigilante intent on revenging himself on candido.
Candido and America's plight is appalling and continual indignities are visited upon them that puts them under considerable strain, their back story more poignant by the fact that they are escaping poverty in a promised land that proves to be lethal to them.
A very readable story that set in 1995 suggests that little has changed in the plight and attitudes of immigrants and American society in 2016, the rhetoric of Los Angeles householders echoes the call from trump to build a wall across the border and is very prescient. The alarming part is how quickly the attitudes of a middle class liberal can change under peer pressure and when their personal circumstances are at risk and it was an interesting read well worth trying. Certainly the author is someone I would like read more of as I recently heard a very good short story of his read on The New Yorker podcast which also posed a fascinating moral dilemma.
Alternating chapters/vignettes mocking stupid white middle class liberals and the utter misery of the lives of illegal Mexican immigrants. If you mesh with the beliefs of the author you may enjoy this but I made it halfway then just skipped to the end.
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wish I could say that this is an insightful or thought-provoking piece on the Mexican/Latin American immigrant experience in the US. Sadly, this book presents a stereotypical depiction of undocumented migrants and their experiences within American and Mexican-American communities. The only chapters that might have something of value to say are the torturous sections regarding América's violent and demeaning experiences as a housekeeper. Yet even these chapters are littered with exploitative and vivid violence used to shock rather than provide any form of commentary. On a worse note, almost every chapter that focuses on Delayne is a meandering dive into the mind of an emasculated bigot, who believes doesn't have a biased bone in his body. The idea of dissecting the performative nature of immigration politics among the privileged in California is so interesting and could create such amazing conversations. But Delaney's story presents this issue and says nothing and goes nowhere. I don't mind violence when used within the context of a story, or unlikable characters when there are narrative or thematic reasons for their irredeemable nature. Without narrative justification, you're left feeling cheated and uncomfortable.
It is reductive and simplistic in its analysis of the relationship between undocumented migrants and the American middle class to a degree that leaves the reader wishing that they had spent their time reading something else.
It is reductive and simplistic in its analysis of the relationship between undocumented migrants and the American middle class to a degree that leaves the reader wishing that they had spent their time reading something else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Pregnancy
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
The story is meant to illustrate how susceptible "good" people are to hate. it accomplishes this, for sure but the ending left a lot to be desired. If you like closure, this book is not for you.
I hated this book! Hated hated hated!
It was slow and really boring at ALL times.
One of the worst books I have ever picked up.
It was slow and really boring at ALL times.
One of the worst books I have ever picked up.
Story was pretty good. I liked how the story lines of the two families interesected. Delaney, the nature writer, at one point seemed to be comparing the illegals with coyotes - opportunists and scavengers. Greatly disappointed by the ending. What happened to these people? Did they get along? Did the Candido and America go back to Mexico?