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A review by parker_beyers
Bone by Fae Myenne Ng
4.0
LOL REVISIONIST HISTORY MOMENT
- This is now 4/5 stars because I read supplemental texts regarding the timeline. Now the backward narrative makes so much sense ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Anyway, shoutout to Chapter 3 of Lisa Lowe's [b: Immigrant Acts|2781|Immigrant Acts On Asian American Cultural Politics|Lisa Lowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924277l/2781._SX50_.jpg|6704] for breaking it down. Please check it out. <3
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3.5
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“Remembering the past gives power to the present.”
I'm conflicted as to whether or not to raise the rating of this book to four stars, but as of right now, three and a half feels right.
[b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090] is a beautifully sad novel, with moving prose, realistic characters, and a compelling storyline. Each family member is strikingly well-rounded, resulting in various dynamic and engaging interactions between the Leongs. I'm particularly drawn to Leon; his schemes and paper trail of lies lead to poignant commentary on cultural assimilation. What defines a "successful" immigrant? What kind of person does American society deem worthy of integration? Is the truth not enough? Must immigrants suffer through, what the narrator Leila deems, the "humiliation" of exhaustive work to ensure the security of future generations?
Needless to say, my Asian-American literature class is having an exuberant time discussing these topical questions. There's so much to be said, truly.
However, [b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090]'s non-linear storytelling is disappointingly frustrating. The narrative's timeline jumps all over the place, constantly switching back and forth between the past and present. While this complements the Leong family's struggle to not allow errors of the past to overwhelm their current lives, the message is partly lost in its flimsy execution. All too often, I had to remind myself which characters are alive or dead, what caused certain events to take place, or where the characters were in their development. These flaws distract from the captivating narrative themes, causing them to constantly be undermined by the confusion from the reader.
There were are few moments of levity. I'm beginning to grow tired of the endless battering rams of sadness present in most contemporary family dramas. Maybe that's just a critique of the genre's conventions as a whole, but these kinds of narratives are starting to run flat for me.
Overall, [b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090] is a well-written, consistently fascinating novel that serves as a great leaping-off point for important conversations surrounding immigrant identity and culture. The thematic impacts may be dampened by the confusing timeline, but it's still a valuable read nonetheless.
Anyway, here's the meme:
- This is now 4/5 stars because I read supplemental texts regarding the timeline. Now the backward narrative makes so much sense ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Anyway, shoutout to Chapter 3 of Lisa Lowe's [b: Immigrant Acts|2781|Immigrant Acts On Asian American Cultural Politics|Lisa Lowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924277l/2781._SX50_.jpg|6704] for breaking it down. Please check it out. <3
--------------------------------------------
3.5
----
“Remembering the past gives power to the present.”
I'm conflicted as to whether or not to raise the rating of this book to four stars, but as of right now, three and a half feels right.
[b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090] is a beautifully sad novel, with moving prose, realistic characters, and a compelling storyline. Each family member is strikingly well-rounded, resulting in various dynamic and engaging interactions between the Leongs. I'm particularly drawn to Leon; his schemes and paper trail of lies lead to poignant commentary on cultural assimilation. What defines a "successful" immigrant? What kind of person does American society deem worthy of integration? Is the truth not enough? Must immigrants suffer through, what the narrator Leila deems, the "humiliation" of exhaustive work to ensure the security of future generations?
Needless to say, my Asian-American literature class is having an exuberant time discussing these topical questions. There's so much to be said, truly.
However, [b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090]'s non-linear storytelling is disappointingly frustrating. The narrative's timeline jumps all over the place, constantly switching back and forth between the past and present. While this complements the Leong family's struggle to not allow errors of the past to overwhelm their current lives, the message is partly lost in its flimsy execution. All too often, I had to remind myself which characters are alive or dead, what caused certain events to take place, or where the characters were in their development. These flaws distract from the captivating narrative themes, causing them to constantly be undermined by the confusion from the reader.
There were are few moments of levity. I'm beginning to grow tired of the endless battering rams of sadness present in most contemporary family dramas. Maybe that's just a critique of the genre's conventions as a whole, but these kinds of narratives are starting to run flat for me.
Overall, [b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090] is a well-written, consistently fascinating novel that serves as a great leaping-off point for important conversations surrounding immigrant identity and culture. The thematic impacts may be dampened by the confusing timeline, but it's still a valuable read nonetheless.
Anyway, here's the meme: