Rating: 
Summary: More than just an "Asian" book
Review: Too many times, minority authors will fall into the trap of telling a story that just involves explaining their background to their audience. Chang-Rae Lee incorporates this into his book, but it is the taut mystery/thriller storyline that really drives the novel. His protagonist is not perfect, nor is he a Korean "EveryMan". He is a wonderfully complex character, an intelligence gatherer for a shadowy think-tank. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes tense, turn-paging novels.
Rating: 
Summary: a mediocre hybrid of a novel
Review: The writing was okay, but Lee seemed to have wanted to write a spy novel grafted onto an ethnic identity novel, and ends up having neither. There are plenty of other (better) Asian American and Korean American writers out there... Maybe Lee's second novel will be less an attempt at commercialism while tapping into a "hot" market, multiculturalism...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Enigmatic and Enlightening
Review: Excellent, Enigmatic and Enlightening: 'I have only known proximity' -Chang Rae Lee (Native Speaker) Henry is a wonderfully inventive trope, a figure I fear few will fully comprehend -- including his intended audience. The idea of a 'native speaker' working for an industrial-espionage service, precisely because he fits the required ethnic description is an almost explosive image: what does it mean for an hyphenated american to ingratiate himself into a closed political circle headed by a man not unlike himself? Lee explores/exploits the potential within the story-line as closely as he can, and mines more ore from it than any number of american novels I can think of at the moment. (Note that I do not classify this as an ethnic american novel, per se). Lee does employ what others have derided as 'riddling' prose. But what could be more riddling than to spy on your secret-sharer? To share and not share a language with him? So it is language -- spoken language -- that Lee focuses his lens on in this text. His conclusion? Lanugage is not only the glue, or rather, the key to membership in this (or any) culture; it CREATES reality. Head and shoulders above the shameful work of Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club), it is a fantastic read and highly recommended. Re-discover the possibilities of language! Get the book!
Rating:
Summary: Not the great Korean-American novel, but great nonetheless
Review: Although the experiences of the narrator may differ from those of other Korean-Americans, I did not view this book as a strictly Korean-American novel. This book touches upon and beautifully delves into such universal themes as love, loss, identity, integrity, death. I read this book 3 years ago, and the portraits of his son still remain touching and vivid in my mind.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent!
Review: Bravo to the ingenious writer, Lee. I, an American, would never have come any close to understanding the culture of the minority, if it were not to be for this novel.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent read
Review: Chang-rae Lee has crafted a story whose deeper meaning is so subtly imbued into his poetic prose, that it takes a skilled reader to unravel and fully appreciate it; it is not a book that can be summarized and fully understood after only one reading. Lee's story tells, in a very moving way, the hopes and struggles of the Asian immigrant in America. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Spirited, intelligent, and entertaining ... bravo!
Review: ...On the other hand, it IS a touching and stirring story, =one= man's story, about his coming to terms with the world he inherited, and his place in a society that at times cannot accept him for who he is. I don't relate to many of the specific anecdotes he describes. But I don't need to. The story's beauty is its prose, sometimes brooding, sometimes meditative, but always a delight to read and reread for those who enjoy a voyeristic peek inside the thoughts of a person trapped in a world not of his design.
Rating: 
Summary: This is not the great Korean-American novel
Review: This is one of the few books that I have never finished reading in my life, because I have no desire to see what happens next. First of all, the author/narrator is obviously biased in favor of American attitudes over Korean/Asian ones. This is not a fault in itself, except that when a novel is touted as a revealing insight into Korean-American culture in popular magazines, one would hope to find it so. As a Korean-American, I found that the characters in the book were not realistically portrayed. Furthermore, there are passages in the book that are there for the sole purpose of caressing the author's ego, and has no other materiality to the identity of the main character (if one can presume the author as narrator conceit). Finally, even if one disassociates the story from the ethnic context, the narrative style is so unengaging and the voice is self-aggrandizing, that I feel no sympathy towards any of the characters or the book itself. I really hope that someone else in my generation, who is truly knowledgeable about the Korean experience in America, can offer an insightful and well-written account that will appeal to readers at every level.
Rating:
Summary: Not as Good as I Thought it would be!
Review: This was one of the books that were assigned for my multicultural literature course. I heard so many great reviews on it that I was looking forward to reading it. However, after reading it, I wondered why it recieved so many great reviews. Lee tries to address to many issues all at once. I was hoping that he would develop more the theme of being alienated and tie it in with Henry's biracial marriage. I was looking for some kind of insight from Henry on his cultural identity. The quest in defining Henry's cultural identity was not addressed as well as it could have been. I cannot honestly say that this book was a page turner, at times I had to force myself to keep reading. Very disappointing novel. I wonder if all the great reviews were due to the content of the novel or due to the fact that the author is Korean-American.
Rating: 
Summary: ambitious
Review: it's been a few years since i've read this book, but i thought i'd comment on what stands out in my mind. it reminded me a bit of ellison's invisible man in its attempt to explore many avenues of the lives of hyphenated americans. i should probably say right now that i'm a korean male (attending lee's alma mater)--not that being k-a really makes any difference, but some people might develop a skewed opinion, one way or another, of my little 'review' if i reveal that i am in fact as-am. anyway, the whole undercover mole aspect of the novel is an interesting idea, but i'm not totally convinced that it works as well as the pictures of life as a first-generation asian-american (or zero generation or whatever you want to call sons and daughters of immigrants). however, the themes of straddling cultures can seem horribly trite. whenever authors talk about balance and saving face and bloodlines ghosts and what-not it makes me cringe. why not just write books about how all asians are want to be medical doctors and be good christians? geez. but i digress. this is not what lee does. his prose is sometime nauseating, but he talks about the k-am 'experience' in a generally nicely restrained way. i rather like this book because it's one of the few korean-am books to have gotten any kind of attention. that is all i think i'll say now. it's a good book. read it. it won't make anyone an expert on korean-american life, but that's not its goal, i don't think. people are always criticizing these kinds of books for not being totally comprehensive about the culture it represents. i probably even did a little of that myself here. whatever. it's a good read. parts of it will touch you in that intimate way good writing can.
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