This wasn’t very good. Oh, I have to keep going? “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet. 1977, May 3, six thirty in the morning, no one knows anything but this innocuous fact: Lydia is late for breakfast.” Lydia Lee, the prodigal daughter of James & Marilyn, goes missing at the beginning of the book and we quickly discover she has died. James, a Chinese immigrant teacher, and Marilyn, a white former medical student, have thrust a lot of their lost desires on […]
Everything That I Never Told You For No Reason Other Than to be Super Frustrating
I am sure that Celeste Ng is a nice person, and I am glad that she has found success as an author, but I did not like this book. In fact, talking about this book makes me downright angry. If I had to describe in one word my thoughts about this book (which I will do next week at my local library book club, because that’s how we roll) I would say “tiresome.” I would also cheat and add two more words “emotionally manipulative.” I […]
In Which I Am Deeply Conflicted About A Book, But You Should Read It
I don’t know how I feel about this book. There is so much that this book does well, starting with its beautiful prose. It’s loosely a mystery, but more in the ethereal way that mysteries exist in our lives when tragedy strikes. There are some questions that we will simply never know the answers. This book unravels the ambiguities of familial relationships and societal pressures which shaped its characters and leaves us with enough unresolved to feel real, and true. Each character in this family […]
I should have known there wouldn’t be more dialogue in this one…
Well, I guess I owe Ms. Ng congratulations for writing a book that has seemed to appeal to so many people. Because despite the positive reviews and internet hype, I wanted to poke out my eyes with spoons after reading “Amazon’s Best Book of the Year for 2014.” You can go ahead and clutch your literary equivalent of pearls in your hands. I remain steadfast in my assessment. This book made me want to scream when I finished it. THESE ARE THE MOST ANNOYING PEOPLE […]