Bone: Novel, A
by Fae Myenne Ng
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 266)
Read in January, 2007
I have mixed feelings on this book. It was the second book chosen by my book group (the first was Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake"), and I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own. Ng's writing style is incredibly short and choppy. We're talking five-word sentences: she even hacks what would be grammatically correct sentences into fragments disctractingly separated by periods. For that reason, I found it really hard to get started. I learned to read through it better as I went along...more
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Read in February, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in January, 2008
I've kept this book in my collection ever since I read it as an undergrad in one of my multicultural literature classes. I've just re-read it. It still holds up well and gives the reader great insight into S.F.'s Chinatown--a tight-knit, tight-lipped (to "outsiders" anyway) community. Ng explores what it's like for second generation children who have to see their parents' struggles with a new country, new traditions, new systems--all while simultaneously holding on to life as they knew...more
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This is another book with an unusual narrative structure that at first feels disjointed, but then reveals itself to be an essential part of the author's grand design. Like floors in a building, or like layers in an archaeological site, each chapter moves a little deeper into the narrator's family history and identity. Almost as though Ng were excavating the narrator's sister's suicide rather than describing it.
There, I've just tried to mimic how she does it. Go check this one out - it's very...more
There, I've just tried to mimic how she does it. Go check this one out - it's very...more
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Read in May, 2008
The story of a Chinese-American family, this books tells the struggles of dealing with the complex relationships of family. It was written chronologically backwards, which took me a few chapters to realize. However, it was an very unique tactic, which made for an interesting read. I originally picked it up to use for my term paper on mother-daughter relationships in Asian American literature. I quickly realized it wasn't going to be helpful for my paper, but I still enjoyed reading it.
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Read in March, 2008
An ok book. Better than the blurb on the back led me to expect. But it never quite took off in the way I hoped. I felt as if it rather skimmed across the surface of the story rather than plunging in fully in any one place.
It reminded me of Shadow Theatre in its conversational tone and predominantly female community, although this was more accessible, but possibly less interesting for that.
It reminded me of Shadow Theatre in its conversational tone and predominantly female community, although this was more accessible, but possibly less interesting for that.
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Read in August, 2008
This book is a palimpsest. It examines the influence of the past on the present by starting in the present moment and moving backward. I was skeptical of this format, but the author used it masterfully. The novel kept my attention and drew me in despite knowing every twist and turn ahead of time from the literary criticism. Oh, and the general story is about a Chinatown family with three daughters - the middle one commits suicide.
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At first glance, the book seems unremarkably familiar -- the story of a Chinese immigrant family dealing with the pressures/trials of assimilating into American culture and the desire to honor the traditions and customs of the "old country."
Where this book shines is in Ng's language and form. Her writing is poetic and almost minimalist, yet the structure of the story itself is delightfully complex.
Where this book shines is in Ng's language and form. Her writing is poetic and almost minimalist, yet the structure of the story itself is delightfully complex.
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recommends it for:
Anyone
Really wonderful book. I wish Ng would write/publish some more.
It tells the story of a young woman and her family coming together and growing apart in the aftermath of the suicide of the narrator's sister. It's as much about grief as it is about family and becoming an adult and life itself. It also winds up being an evocative depiction of the Chinese-American community in San Francisco.
It tells the story of a young woman and her family coming together and growing apart in the aftermath of the suicide of the narrator's sister. It's as much about grief as it is about family and becoming an adult and life itself. It also winds up being an evocative depiction of the Chinese-American community in San Francisco.
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Read in July, 2008
I'm not even done with this book but I'm enjoying it so far. Its the story of a Chinese American family set in SF Chinatown. The narrator of Bone, Leila, is assertive and intelligent - forming her identity in a world she is often stuck as a mediator/liaison. Ng's writing is simple, but enjoyable and refreshing.
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Read in October, 2007
Excellent novel that reflects on the struggles of Chinese immigrants and their U.S. born children in San Francisco. Ng portrays the painful tale of how Chinese immigrants create family amidst racism and oppression, and how that legacy affects the following generations.
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Read in May, 2007
This was a difficult read. A lot of broken English. But the narrative was told through the eyes of a daughter who constantly tried to please her family and found she was failing herself. So I found the topic interesting and I think it's a great book.
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Read in June, 2008
i really like this "family portrait". its kind of eerily familiar to me/my family and the style is straightforward and emotionally raw (without being melodramatic). Ng is really keen and a great writer and this book is very easy to get addicted to.
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Meh. Sad, really sad with potent quotes and such. It's all so humorless though that getting through the scant pages sometimes feels like a chore. I got to the point where I stopped caring about these people.
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Read in January, 2006
recommended to Aishe by:
Jinzhao Lirecommends it for: anyone who is interested in Asian America
Ng's first novel really captures the lives of an intergenerational Chinese American family. Her writing reframes the American dream, complicates it, and reflects more reality than the usual depictions.
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Read in January, 2002
This book reads like Memento (that makes sense if you've seen that movie), and the story is tragically beautiful. I'm really big on interpersonal relationships being major themes in books.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Sarah by:
Engl 315A
Really good. I loved the narration style and the background to this story/book. There is this mystery about the characters that I wanted to keep reading about.
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Read in June, 2008
I appreciate the insight into the life and culture of a Chinese-American family living in San Francisco, but had a hard time with how it was written.
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Read in January, 2003
I read this novel for an Asian American history course. Regardless of the fact that I had to read it, I loved it. It is one of my favorite books.
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Read in January, 2006
Nice prose but the story is a bit uninspired. I think I'm just a little tired of the whole "Chinese Experience in SF" storyline.
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