Scan barcode
A review by melanie_reads
The Fortunes by Peter Ho Davies
3.0
Ehhh. I really wanted to like this book. There is a dearth of literature about the Chinese American experience and this book fills a needed hole in the cannon. I also heard Peter Ho Davies speak at a literary event earlier this year and really enjoyed what he had to say. The stories he chooses to tell are wonderful, I couldn't get enough of them, which is my problem with this book. I felt Davies had a lot in him but took the easy route by getting the ideas to paper and putting them together into one book. Four stories in one book. Was this his publisher's recommendation? Because I kind of want to blame someone for this travesty. I want at least 2 or 3 books out of this book.
One other nit-picky comment related to the second section, Silver, about Anna May Wong. I found the writing style horribly distracting. Once again, if this had been it's own stand-alone book, I don't think it would have bothered me as much. But the short (as in one page or less) chapters with titles just cut the flow of the story for me. And it was particularly noticeable in comparison to the excellent craft of writing Davies displays in the first part of the book.
One other nit-picky comment related to the second section, Silver, about Anna May Wong. I found the writing style horribly distracting. Once again, if this had been it's own stand-alone book, I don't think it would have bothered me as much. But the short (as in one page or less) chapters with titles just cut the flow of the story for me. And it was particularly noticeable in comparison to the excellent craft of writing Davies displays in the first part of the book.