Meeting Luciano: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Reflective cultural assimilation
Review: A very worthwhile read. As a non-asian male, I was not only able to experience aspects of the mother-daugher relationship, but that of the Asian experience in America, AND, that of the first generation American. I am not surprised the book does not go over as well in California - at least, that's what it seems from the reviews listed herein... There is an inner contemplative quality that will not be easily understood by those who are attracted to the more extroverted, exteriorized, and sometimes superficial elements in the "State of Sunshine and Surf".

Rating:
Summary: Sadly unimaginative for such a great premise
Review: As this soap opera progresses, the story becomes more and more uninteresting. Emily, the fairly dull narrator, slowly discovers the judgements she made about her mother and her mother's contractor, Alex, are all unfounded. Of course in a book as formulaic as this one the reader has made the discovery pages before the character does. The tangental snippets from Emily's past populated with unimaginatively realized characters like Ben, the radical intellectual pseudo-boyfriend from college, are also run-of-the-mill. Esaki-Smith has an understanding of drama, but only in terms of movie-of-the-week style relationships and situations. Considering the story is about the reconstruction of a house and, metaphorically the entire household, and that Emily had plans to be an architect there was such a wealth for dramatic development and surprises. But all we get is Emily's sorrowful musings of her muddling life as a waitress in a Japanese steakhouse and her not-so-interesting past. And of course paragraphs of her unapproving comments about the relationship between her mother and Alex. The anticipated meeting with Pavarotti and how that meeting eventually turns out is the only surprise in this sadly unfulfilling tale.

Rating:
Summary: More complex than it first appears.
Review: Emily Shimoda is a recent college graduate, living at home with her divorced mother, a Japanese immigrant with a passion for Italian opera, Luciano Pavarotti in particular. Emily is surprised when her mother suddenly starts renovating the house, hiring a contractor who Emily does not quite trust. It turns out that her mother is doing this because she has invited Pavarotti to visit.

There's a lot more to this book than meets the eye at first glance. It's about assimilation, about moving on in life, about parent-child relationships. As one sentence says, "Maybe finding one's true self is like building a house and then making it a home". I think that is a good summary of the book's theme, as we see how Hanako begins to recover from the discover of her husband's infidelity, how Emily learns to accept her mother as a person apart from her family.

Rating:
Summary: Gently amusing
Review: Emily,daughter of post war migrants Hanako and her husband,returns to live with her mother after graduating from college and following her parents divorce.Hanako is a devotee of opera and all things European and is convinced that because of a vague mention of a visit by Luciano Pavarotti,he is about to come to her home.She hires a Greek american painter to redecorate and a relationship starts to build between them.I enjoyed the mentions of cultural differences between Japanese and U.S. backgrounds and while I can't pinpoint anything in particular to criticise,The story just seemed to fizzle out towards the end.

Rating:
Summary: Reflective cultural assimilation
Review: I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, it was a nice opportunity to get a glimpse into another culture and explore the acculturation process of the mother and her daughters. I also liked the use of flashbacks throughout the book as well as the memories triggered by household objects. Esaki-Smith's writing was easy to read and I enjoyed relaxing with this book on a rainy afternoon. My only disappointment was with the ending which didn't seem to fit the flow of the book. All in all it's a fine book and I would recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Smooth and amusing read
Review: I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, it was a nice opportunity to get a glimpse into another culture and explore the acculturation process of the mother and her daughters. I also liked the use of flashbacks throughout the book as well as the memories triggered by household objects. Esaki-Smith's writing was easy to read and I enjoyed relaxing with this book on a rainy afternoon. My only disappointment was with the ending which didn't seem to fit the flow of the book. All in all it's a fine book and I would recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: quiet and surprisingly deep
Review: i really enjoyed this book--in fact, i read it twice. maybe because my father is an opera fan. and on second reading, i began to see how well constructed was the book. of course, it's not about 'meeting luciano' but meeting luciano is in fact what moves the characters in the book. i recommend it to all.

Rating:
Summary: multilayered
Review: i've read the reviews here and some are too simplistic, some are too demanding. this is a wonderful book. of course anyone can pick at it, but perhaps they miss the point. i liked the surprise, felt the quiet drama compelling and thought the character of the mother funny and true.

Rating:
Summary: If you've ever reinvented yourself, you'll love this
Review: It is my good fortune to find this jewel-like, delectable novel. For me, it was not about meeting up with Luciano himself afterall, but about meeting up with so much more: beautiful food, opera music and the musical language, the intricacies of loving mothers/fathers/siblings/friends, the loss of them, growing up/the uncertainty of the future, and the need to reinvent oneself; Esaki-Smith touches just about all bases, including a delectable mix of cultures. The thoughtfulness and perception from which she writes/describes her mother astonishes me. I highly recommend this novel.

Rating:
Summary: A thoughful, thought-provoking first novel.
Review: Meeting Luciano is a rare first novel, thoughtful and thought-provoking, the kind of book that sticks in your memory. It has a paced, poetic narrative that subtly displays the stresses of different cultures and generations in close quarters. Worth your time.