Rating:  Summary: The sum of all things dim and funny Review: From the first sentence of this book I was hooked. I immediately identified with Lindsey Owyang, her thoughts about love / romance, men, and life. No matter what your descent, anyone can appreciate Kim's wonderful and poignant sense of humor and true understanding of the human spirit (especially a woman's). I have had a hard time putting this book down - this book just makes you feel good and validated about all of the thoughts you have in your daily life. Thanks!
Rating:  Summary: Really funny read Review: Having grown up in San Francisco, one of the things I appreciated was the author's total feel of the city. Reading this brought me back to my Russian Hill apartment days, strolling on Polk street, and rekindled my love of and fascination for Chinatown. I don't usually laugh out loud while reading--but the descriptions of the funkiness of riding Muni, and some of the deft characterizations in the book--especially Lindsay's new-agey aunt-- made me seriously bust a gut. At one point, I put the book down laughing and started clapping my hands as if I was at a hilarious stand-up comedy show. I felt a little strange realizing I was clapping for a book in an empty apartment. This is a great, fun read--especially if you love San Francisco.
Rating:  Summary: Asian American Bridget Jones...in a Hello Kitty sort of way Review: I admit that I tore through this book because it was fun to read; however, the main character's neuroses, hypocritical tendancies, and in some cases ..."buffooness" started to wear on my patience. If this book had gone on any longer, I probably would have stopped reading it because she would have annoyed me too much. However, the other characters were enjoyable sideshows and there were many "way too familiar" scenes that made me laugh out loud. At times, I felt like I was reading excerpts from my own life's journal (not the party & white pants chapter). It was definitely a colorful and light read...a nice escape from busy days. One thing to note...don't pay too much attention to the book's description. I did and was disappointed. I did wonder why Asians love "Hello Kitty" (because I don't), etc.. and after reading the book, I'm still wondering. I was, at least, hoping for some humorous insight - true or not. But the back of the book did its job -- got me to buy it even though it didn't deliver on my expectations.
Rating:  Summary: A good read, but this book makes us look bad! Review: I am conflicted about this book. On one hand, an Asian chick lit novel is a terrific idea and something that I wanted to explore myself, but Keltner beat me to it. She's a sharp, funny and observant writer, and on that level, I really enjoyed her book. On the other hand, her main character Lindsey is paranoid, annoying and hypocritical beyond belief. She hates white men who have a fetish for Asian women, yet she'll only date white men herself. (She's a hoarder of all things white!) She also seems to attract very ignorant white people who, I feel, are exaggerated to the point of offensiveness. I am a Chinese-American living in New York, and while I do occasionally get insensitive and un-PC comments, it really doesn't happen all that often. Especially since I live in a big city with lots of Asian-Americans, as Lindsey does. I don't feel it's realistic to say that you get hit on by hoarders every other day, and get accosted by insensitive white people on a regular basis. The examples that Keltner gave are events that happen every once in a while, over a lifetime. That's not what being an Asian-American is really like, and I shudder to think that non-Asians reading this book will come to the conclusion that Asian-Americans are as paranoid and sensitive as Keltner makes us seem. Perhaps the author really is like that, but no Asian-American I know mulls over his/her identity quite as hard. Yes, it's difficult to belong to two separate cultures, yet not feel a part of either, but it's something that we grew up with and have learned to deal with (most of us with ease). Perhaps the problem is that Keltner never really assimiliated, at least not in the sense that matters. She may be good at English, but she never got the hang of being a real American, which by definition means being a mutt.
Rating:  Summary: Racist. Review: I became disgusted by all the racist comments in the book and after about a hundred pages into the story,I started to put a check on each page that contained a racist comment.Especially about Caucasian men. Almost every page is marked.I believe that if this book had been written by a Caucasian or African American it would have started an outcry from the reading public. As it should.
Rating:  Summary: are we there yet??? Review: i can't believe i'm reading this book. for what it's worth, the character doesn't seem to have much of a voice other than just whining. she attempts to sound amy tan-ish with all the metaphores and similies. i mean, come on - how many Chinese-American 20-something year old females do you know that thinks or says stuff like "The fog resembled bright white crystalline cotton reflecting off the liquid metal waves."(p. 164)??? or "White guilt was like smog in the Bay Area, like filthy puffs of charcoal gray exhaust blasting out of Muni buses and impregnating the city air, hanging around the horizon like a ring of oven grease, but perhaps, at times, contributing to prettier sunsets." (p. 6)??? lindsey complains a lot about being who she is and it's obvious she's in the midst of a crisis of being an asian and american. i mean, as third generation, just how difficult can it be? is she so neglected by her parents that she's trying to "find" herself while living with her grandmother? she's a complete snob (french and english major in college), completely unambitious (after double-majoring in languages, a job as a receptionist? not that i'm knocking receptionist, but she seems to come off rather condescending as a character, as if she's too good to work for the vegan warrior), completely lost (hello, identity crisis? cultural ignorance? observant but blind!!), completely childish (playing silly mind-games with Michael Cartier, who just so happens to be 1/4 chinese himself, but she discounts that and considers him a Hoarder because he *looks* white. as if *his* heritage isn't as important as hers.), completely myopic (mememememememe, IIIIIII...), and completely judgemental (why knock people for buying hello kitty if she herself buys it? and so what if asian girls decide to bleach their hair blonde? weren't they the ones who helped her out when she pooped in her white pants???). she's ashamed of her heritage, her self-identity is missing about 98 knobs on a 100 knobbed switchboard), and has no backbone. her brother is a pompous pig and though she doesn't kow-tow to him, she lets him get away with being annoying just because he's the "number one son." trust me, i'm a number-one daughter in my asian family and no matter what the number-one son does, i stand up for what i believe in.
this book - this character - is an insult to so many asian-american women out there who're strong, independent, and free. perhaps what lindsey needs is a therapist.
and if the voice, thoughts, and feelings of lindsey are the exact same voice of kim wong keltner, she should be ashamed of herself. she herself married the white-devil.
in short, this is one contradiction of a book and character that's a bad waste of time. i'm 3/4 way through the book and i can't wait to finish it so i can move on to something better. (i can't put down something i started, however bad it is. bad habit.)
Rating:  Summary: Enjoyable Summer Reading! Review: I enjoy the book alot. Met Kim at the San Francisco bookfair. Looking forward for her 2nd book.
Rating:  Summary: Hilarious! Review: I found this book to be thoroughly entertaining. Being a third generation Chinese American myself, I was able to relate to certain situations that the main character found herself in, although I am happy to say that I am not as Americanized as her. The Chinese that was spelled out phonetically was hilarious and the only people that wouldn't find this book amusing is because they don't understand it.
Rating:  Summary: A must read! Review: I highly recommend this book! I have never related so completely to a book as I did with this one. It's absolutely hilarious and any woman can relate to the book's main character. Kim Wong Keltner's style is fluid and infused with humor. She could not have put onto paper a more accurate Chinese-American experience for the twenty-something woman.
Rating:  Summary: a fun, light read Review: I liked this book. As a young Asian American female who grew up in San Francisco, the setting for this book, the protagonist's experience struck a chord with me. Sure, maybe it doesn't aspire to high literary aspirations but nonetheless, it's smart, hip, and fun to read. I especially liked the way Keltner characterized the kooky aunts in the novel--they were laugh-out-loud funny and the hoarders of all things Asian. Keltner writes from the perspective of a girl in her mid-20's who's coming to terms with her Chinese heritage and a budding romance. If I were to criticize anything about the book, it would be that the story line could be stronger (what was the climax of the novel?) and that the chapter on her trip to China could be more developed.
|