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A review by valandthegianttbr
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
WOW i have so many thoughts that are so jumbled up!!!
this book was a BEAST & it took me quite a bit of time to wade through it, even though i was definitely invested. there’s a ton of jumping around & small details that add to the overall message/vibe, but definitely make it a thick thick book. a lot of this definitely could’ve been cut, but then i don’t think it would’ve had the same “slice of life” or “window into someone else's life" feel!
this is a seriously character-driven novel & these characters…. sucked?? i say that with love & disdain lol every character was SO deeply flawed & every time i started rooting for someone, they immediately made some real bad choices. i appreciated the way the book didn't try to make us pity these characters, but instead just gave us a harshly realistic portrait of how exhausting & toxic people can be. the characters all (well mostly) had wells of goodness too, so there was some hope!! but the overall message was pretty bleak lol it was super interesting to have the 3rd person omnipotent pov too to get glimpses into so many people’s thoughts, it created a fascinating kaleidoscope of motivations & inner feelings that added a ton of depth to even mundane scenes
i hated how much infidelity there was in this book. it was triggering in how well the author describes what it feels like to have been cheated on, but i was also exhausted by the way EVERY RELATIONSHIP had some form of cheating in it. i get that our society sees infidelity as the absolute end of the world & the author was trying to send a message about love, lust, morality, etc but i was just so tired of it by the end. there are other things that wreck trust in relationships & that really was not explored at all.
the prose was so interesting in this one because it is not lyrical, sweeping, poetic, etc. in contrast, it's pretty austere & sparse. somehow though the story is still so emotionally evocative?? i was amazed by how many intense feelings came up for me in this book where the plot truly moves at a snail's pace & there are few flowery lines — so impressive!!
overall this book was a doozy but i’m glad i read it because it was a sharp commentary on wealth, class mobility, love, trust, desire, aspirations, and more. a super unique child of immigrants coming of age that i will definitely forget most of the details of but will hold on to so many of the feelings.
this book was a BEAST & it took me quite a bit of time to wade through it, even though i was definitely invested. there’s a ton of jumping around & small details that add to the overall message/vibe, but definitely make it a thick thick book. a lot of this definitely could’ve been cut, but then i don’t think it would’ve had the same “slice of life” or “window into someone else's life" feel!
this is a seriously character-driven novel & these characters…. sucked?? i say that with love & disdain lol every character was SO deeply flawed & every time i started rooting for someone, they immediately made some real bad choices. i appreciated the way the book didn't try to make us pity these characters, but instead just gave us a harshly realistic portrait of how exhausting & toxic people can be. the characters all (well mostly) had wells of goodness too, so there was some hope!! but the overall message was pretty bleak lol it was super interesting to have the 3rd person omnipotent pov too to get glimpses into so many people’s thoughts, it created a fascinating kaleidoscope of motivations & inner feelings that added a ton of depth to even mundane scenes
i hated how much infidelity there was in this book. it was triggering in how well the author describes what it feels like to have been cheated on, but i was also exhausted by the way EVERY RELATIONSHIP had some form of cheating in it. i get that our society sees infidelity as the absolute end of the world & the author was trying to send a message about love, lust, morality, etc but i was just so tired of it by the end. there are other things that wreck trust in relationships & that really was not explored at all.
the prose was so interesting in this one because it is not lyrical, sweeping, poetic, etc. in contrast, it's pretty austere & sparse. somehow though the story is still so emotionally evocative?? i was amazed by how many intense feelings came up for me in this book where the plot truly moves at a snail's pace & there are few flowery lines — so impressive!!
overall this book was a doozy but i’m glad i read it because it was a sharp commentary on wealth, class mobility, love, trust, desire, aspirations, and more. a super unique child of immigrants coming of age that i will definitely forget most of the details of but will hold on to so many of the feelings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity