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catherine_80 's review for:
America
by T.C. Boyle
Just before picking up this book from my shelf I read some of the reviews. It seems people either like or hate this book and this was enough for me to read it and see for myself.
First of all, I've never been to US, so I really wouldn't know how the issue of illegal immigration looks in reality. That doesn't mean I haven't seen poverty or poor and desperate people. And often they look just like Candido - old shoes or sandals, faded shirts, lucky ones have old, dirty jackets. Women carrying hungry babies and wondering how are they going to provide for them. Very old people digging through trash for plastic bottles and hoping to get enough of those to buy a meal. People in front of me in the supermarket who buy cheapest brands of anything and look ashamed when they deny pack of bubble gums or chocolate bar to their children. Beggars dressed in rags and shame who never fail to thank each person for a coin in their plastic cup and never forget to ask god to watch over you and give you good health.
Chains of events cause initially liberal Delaney and optimistic Candido to become enemies and the exact opposites of characters who began the story. Delaney turns into type of person he used to despise - someone who wants an illegal Mexican immigrant out of his country and blames one illegal immigrant for all his troubles described in 360 pages. Candido thinks Delaney is crazy and wants him dead, although Delaney has nothing to do with all the problems he is facing in America and he becomes more and more pessimistic as the story progresses. The biggest irony are two criminals who are really guilty of several crimes and the last thing reader finds out about them is that they've been released from the police custody. Jack Jr also never faces consequences for any of his actions.
I feel some parts of the story were rushed and the final part was way over the top. So that's 2 stars down. Other than that, it was an interesting read and I am well aware that it's only a work of fiction, so I expect some aspects of the story not to reflect the reality, but serve to drive the plot or describe characters' motivation.
First of all, I've never been to US, so I really wouldn't know how the issue of illegal immigration looks in reality. That doesn't mean I haven't seen poverty or poor and desperate people. And often they look just like Candido - old shoes or sandals, faded shirts, lucky ones have old, dirty jackets. Women carrying hungry babies and wondering how are they going to provide for them. Very old people digging through trash for plastic bottles and hoping to get enough of those to buy a meal. People in front of me in the supermarket who buy cheapest brands of anything and look ashamed when they deny pack of bubble gums or chocolate bar to their children. Beggars dressed in rags and shame who never fail to thank each person for a coin in their plastic cup and never forget to ask god to watch over you and give you good health.
Chains of events cause initially liberal Delaney and optimistic Candido to become enemies and the exact opposites of characters who began the story. Delaney turns into type of person he used to despise - someone who wants an illegal Mexican immigrant out of his country and blames one illegal immigrant for all his troubles described in 360 pages. Candido thinks Delaney is crazy and wants him dead, although Delaney has nothing to do with all the problems he is facing in America and he becomes more and more pessimistic as the story progresses. The biggest irony are two criminals who are really guilty of several crimes and the last thing reader finds out about them is that they've been released from the police custody. Jack Jr also never faces consequences for any of his actions.
I feel some parts of the story were rushed and the final part was way over the top. So that's 2 stars down. Other than that, it was an interesting read and I am well aware that it's only a work of fiction, so I expect some aspects of the story not to reflect the reality, but serve to drive the plot or describe characters' motivation.