A review by radioisasoundsalvation
Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee

4.0

I enjoyed this, my first experience with Chang-rae Lee! His language lilts very lovingly through his scenes, his descriptions; it's what Pat Conroy wishes he could do, but is too dramatic and self-indulgent to do with any sort of economy. Park's lifelong struggle with parallel lives all roots down to being a first generation Korean American. His actions as a mole-for hire just emphasize that Park is not a man who can spend any more time walking the thin wire between all of his different identities. Lee's ingenuity in handling the ethnic-American experience with the domestic spy business is quite creative; although at first, I was skeptical. It really works though, once you realize he's not something out of Mission Impossible. It's much more subtle than I'd imagine it could be carried out, and that's all because of Lee's deft hand. I'll definitely be scoping out his other novels!