Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by barelycarebear
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
3.0
This was my Book of the Month (BotM) selection for September 2021. My 11th since joining. The finish line of my first year is in sight.
I chose this book because I read [b:The Three-Body Problem|20518872|The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1)|Liu Cixin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415428227l/20518872._SY75_.jpg|25696480] earlier this year, and based on the preview I read, I had hoped this memoir would provide more context on China's Cultural Revolution in the 60's. (It didn't).
This was okay overall. Something about the writing didn't quite work for me, but I couldn't put my finger on what until I read the author's bio on Goodreads. That's when it clicked - yes, this reads exactly like it was written "...on her iPhone, during her subway commute to and from work..." It explains the disjointed, choppy quality and why the chapters reads like a bunch of childhood memories cobbled together to pave an uneven path traversed while following a thin and not always coherent narrative thread. The gaps and unsuccessful attempts at alternating timelines formed a sieve that unfortunately drained some of the emotional resonance out of the story for me.
Despite this there were still segments of the book that held together enough to eloquently convey the constant anxiety of a child hiding her undocumented status, the devastating impact of poverty and food instability, and the insidiousness of racism, sexism and the two playing out in tandem. This was ultimately the deciding factor between two and three stars.
Would I recommend it? Depends. I imagine there are a number of readers who would not be bothered at all by the stylistic stuff that hampered my enjoyment. However, if you (like me) have a hard time with animal cruelty, then definitely skip this one. Marylin the cat is truly the tragic victim of this family.
Will I read anything else by the author? No. Don't know that the author has another book in her.
BotM ongoing impression(s): I joined foolishly thinking the five selections would be the best of all the books being released each month. I have learned to temper my expectations and think of them more like the five most popular Real Housewives of a season.
I will again end with my BotM review: "This story is a patch in the quilt that is America, important but unfortunately not very distinctive. Wish the writing and editing had been better."
I chose this book because I read [b:The Three-Body Problem|20518872|The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1)|Liu Cixin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415428227l/20518872._SY75_.jpg|25696480] earlier this year, and based on the preview I read, I had hoped this memoir would provide more context on China's Cultural Revolution in the 60's. (It didn't).
This was okay overall. Something about the writing didn't quite work for me, but I couldn't put my finger on what until I read the author's bio on Goodreads. That's when it clicked - yes, this reads exactly like it was written "...on her iPhone, during her subway commute to and from work..." It explains the disjointed, choppy quality and why the chapters reads like a bunch of childhood memories cobbled together to pave an uneven path traversed while following a thin and not always coherent narrative thread. The gaps and unsuccessful attempts at alternating timelines formed a sieve that unfortunately drained some of the emotional resonance out of the story for me.
Despite this there were still segments of the book that held together enough to eloquently convey the constant anxiety of a child hiding her undocumented status, the devastating impact of poverty and food instability, and the insidiousness of racism, sexism and the two playing out in tandem. This was ultimately the deciding factor between two and three stars.
Would I recommend it? Depends. I imagine there are a number of readers who would not be bothered at all by the stylistic stuff that hampered my enjoyment. However, if you (like me) have a hard time with animal cruelty, then definitely skip this one. Marylin the cat is truly the tragic victim of this family.
Will I read anything else by the author? No. Don't know that the author has another book in her.
BotM ongoing impression(s): I joined foolishly thinking the five selections would be the best of all the books being released each month. I have learned to temper my expectations and think of them more like the five most popular Real Housewives of a season.
I will again end with my BotM review: "This story is a patch in the quilt that is America, important but unfortunately not very distinctive. Wish the writing and editing had been better."