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memeraryfiction 's review for:
Free Food for Millonaires
by Min Jin Lee
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Free Food for Millionaires is a massive, ambitious book with a very tight focus: the many permutations of love (and attendant concepts like sex and desire) in the contemporary world. The structure is clearly very carefully managed, so despite its length, it didn't feel like a slog to read.
This book reminds me a lot of Sally Rooney's work (though of course Min Jin Lee's novels predate Rooney's): in addition to their focus on contemporary love and sex, both are careful and thorough in exploring social class differences, and both spend a lot of time with the biblical concept of grace.
The characters are, for the most part, well developed, and we get to see their good and bad sides, their flaws and vulnerabilities. I absolutely can't stand Ted Kim, but he does feel like an accurate representation of a finbro (though maybe that's just my own biases showing).
I would have loved to read more of Joseph and Leah's stories, as Joseph's feels a bit underdeveloped, and Leah's big arc is introduced quite late. On the other hand, though, I appreciate the movement in the book from these characters being portrayed and seen as stubbornly patriarchal (Joseph) and meekly submissive (Leah) to more complex people with their own loves, sorrows, and ambitions. This structure mirrors Casey's evolving understanding of her parents as human beings, so I can't really fault it.
This book reminds me a lot of Sally Rooney's work (though of course Min Jin Lee's novels predate Rooney's): in addition to their focus on contemporary love and sex, both are careful and thorough in exploring social class differences, and both spend a lot of time with the biblical concept of grace.
The characters are, for the most part, well developed, and we get to see their good and bad sides, their flaws and vulnerabilities. I absolutely can't stand Ted Kim, but he does feel like an accurate representation of a finbro (though maybe that's just my own biases showing).
I would have loved to read more of Joseph and Leah's stories, as Joseph's feels a bit underdeveloped, and Leah's big arc is introduced quite late. On the other hand, though, I appreciate the movement in the book from these characters being portrayed and seen as stubbornly patriarchal (Joseph) and meekly submissive (Leah) to more complex people with their own loves, sorrows, and ambitions. This structure mirrors Casey's evolving understanding of her parents as human beings, so I can't really fault it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Rape, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, War
Gambling addiction