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A review by novabird
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
2.0
Right from the start, I noticed that the bulk of the writing technique was presented in truncated short, shorter, and shortest sentences possible. I was slightly put-off, as though Ford either made a conscious effort to address the readability factor of his audience, or was trying to affect something minimalistic in his stylistic approach. Yet, the complexity factor increased with the progression of the story, so I held out hope. For too long, as it turned out.
Either way I found it very difficult to engage in this, ‘puppy-love,’ story. Not that it was overly sentimental, no not at all. Midway through the book, I decided to put it aside; as the latest development
Although, I did gain some cultural insight with the, “I am Chinese,” button that Henry wore and learned a little about the implications of Chinese and Japanese relations, I was also disappointed in how ‘cleaned-up,’ Ford presented his story.
Using a puppy-love story to present both 1. the cultural differences between the Chinese and Japanese Americans and 2. Also depicting an internment camp in such a simplistic style and plot form really seems to me to be pandering to the masses or simply the effect of a third generation Chinese American imposing a Brady Bunch (sic from Ford’s Acknowledgments) mentality on his work.
Because I did learn some things from, “The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” this was not a total waste of time for me. 2.75
Either way I found it very difficult to engage in this, ‘puppy-love,’ story. Not that it was overly sentimental, no not at all. Midway through the book, I decided to put it aside; as the latest development
Spoiler
of Henry working as kitchen help at the Japanese internment camp was so coincidental that it bordered on implausible.Although, I did gain some cultural insight with the, “I am Chinese,” button that Henry wore and learned a little about the implications of Chinese and Japanese relations, I was also disappointed in how ‘cleaned-up,’ Ford presented his story.
Using a puppy-love story to present both 1. the cultural differences between the Chinese and Japanese Americans and 2. Also depicting an internment camp in such a simplistic style and plot form really seems to me to be pandering to the masses or simply the effect of a third generation Chinese American imposing a Brady Bunch (sic from Ford’s Acknowledgments) mentality on his work.
Because I did learn some things from, “The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” this was not a total waste of time for me. 2.75