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93rd out of 107 books
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Wrack and Ruin
by
Don Lee
Lyndon Song, a renowned sculptor, has fled New York City to become a Brussels sprouts farmer in the small California town of Rosarita Bay. Lyndon has a brother, Woody, an indicted financier turned movie producer, and Woody has a plan, involving a golf-course resort on Lyndon's land and an aging kung-fu diva from Hong Kong with a mean kick and a meaner drinking problem. A d...more
Hardcover, 333 pages
Published
April 21st 2008
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published April 17th 2008)
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After what I thought was a pretty weak first novel (Country of Origin), Don Lee returns to form in this latest book, which features the kinds of over-the-top characters and wacky hijinks that made his short story collection Yellow such an entertaining read. (Lee's sense of humor was noticeably missing in Country of Origin.)
Wrack and Ruin even brings us back Rosarita Bay, California (apparently based on Half Moon Bay) and has inside references to many of the characters and locales fr...more
Wrack and Ruin even brings us back Rosarita Bay, California (apparently based on Half Moon Bay) and has inside references to many of the characters and locales fr...more
Enjoyable, quirky tale of two brothers -- Lyndon, a loner brussels sprouts farmer (and former successful sculptor), and Woody, a neurotic movie producer (and former Wall Street hotshot). Set on the foggy northern California coast, there are lots of gentle pokes at Californian lifestyles and pretensions. The author does a good job of engaging the reader's sympathies for the rag-tag residents of the little community of Rosarita. The narrative proceeds briskly enough to keep the plot perking alon...more
Don Lee's novel holds transcendent qualities akin to the fiction writing of Barbara Kingsolver; it is rich with environmental and agrarian science, Buddhist philosophy, natural rhythms and the plight of a modern America on the verge of environmental catastrophe stemming from over-development and unabashed greed. Yet, the characters are as quirky, fallible and ultimately noble as those in John Irving's best novels. Lyndon and Woody Song are archetypes of sibling rivalry, and exemplify the wide sp...more
NPR had put Wrack and Ruin on their summer reading list back in May. I don't know why this particular book stood out to me, but it did. As I began reading Don Lee's novel, I was struck by how evident it is to tell the difference between a 'good' book and an 'okay' book. Wrack and Ruin is a 'good' book. Lee as an author keeps the plot tight, which is really impressive. It seems me that novels which are not 'action-paced' can tend to move slow and drag on periodically, however the pace of this nov...more
Jeanne
rated it
Recommends it for:
people who like Carl Hiaasen
Recommended to Jeanne by:
NPR
Shelves:
humor
I love this novel! It's funny, it's smart, and it's silly. Very silly.
Lyndon Baines Song is a part-time welder and a Brussels sprouts farmer in coastal California. He enjoys the solitude of his farm. A lot. For Lyndon, life is good.
Except for the golf course/housing development jerks who want to buy his land. Lyndon's not budging, no matter what. Not for millions of dollars.
Things get complicated when his brother, Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Song s...more
Lyndon Baines Song is a part-time welder and a Brussels sprouts farmer in coastal California. He enjoys the solitude of his farm. A lot. For Lyndon, life is good.
Except for the golf course/housing development jerks who want to buy his land. Lyndon's not budging, no matter what. Not for millions of dollars.
Things get complicated when his brother, Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Song s...more
I adored this book. It had me laughing in public places and snickering into my coffee. All the characters had real flaws but Lee was fair--everyone was flawed. And what's more, I liked them the better for it. Lee was so much more fluent in this work than in his earlier work, Country of Origin, and it seemed he was having a better time as well. When my life was particularly difficult, this was a very refreshing respite. It seemed so very California to me, and since I live on the east coast, it f...more
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This was an NPR recommendation and I have to say it was very funny. You have a famous Asian Sculptor who gives it all up to become a Brussels Sprout farmer, his brother a Harvard educated embezzler, an aging martial arts actress, a surfer who lost his foot to a great white and a lab named Bob. Of course like any true summer read-you have to decide to not judge and just go with the story and that is what makes it fun. If the book hadn't been as tightly written it would have been difficult to p...more
Wrack and Ruin is a really fun novel. Of interest to me was its setting in the nearby beach town across the hill (Half Moon Bay, in the novel called Rosarita Bay). And the area from Davenport to Moss Beach to the coffee shops in HMB--as well as the coastal denizens--are depicted with detail and care. But I would have enjoyed Lee's novel even if it had been set in Timbuktu. It's primarily the tale of two Asian-American brothers, Lyndon and Woodrow Song, who couldn't be more unlike one another. Ly...more
Refreshingly elegant character development and interesting plot. He's a favorite writer.
Dragged out, pointless, confusing, lack of identity, unclear. Not to mention the less than average characters, poorly described setting, and out of place side stories.
That was my attempt at writing a review in the style of Don Lee. I'm not sure if it's an inferiority complex, love of detail and research, or an actual wealth of knowledge, but the painstakingly long-winded lists that popped up about 5 per chapter drove me mad. It felt as if I was being forced to read this book for a High...more
That was my attempt at writing a review in the style of Don Lee. I'm not sure if it's an inferiority complex, love of detail and research, or an actual wealth of knowledge, but the painstakingly long-winded lists that popped up about 5 per chapter drove me mad. It felt as if I was being forced to read this book for a High...more
You think it's going to be all about two estranged brothers and a land conflict, but its focus is really on art, expertise, and the burden of celebrity. Lyndon Song, a middle aged Asian-American man, abandoned his (very) successful art career in New York. Now he is a principled Brussels sprouts farmer in California who has a conflict with a big-time developer, strange friends with whom he bartends on the side, and weed plants on his land. The tone of this book centers on the comical (a collectio...more
Farcical, fun to read, deceptively good writing by a new faculty member at Western Michigan University. Female characters could have been a little deeper, but you can't have everything.
I thought I had reviewed this book, my currently FAVORITE book. I must have pushed the wrong button! So, I love it. It is funny and tender and nutty. Don Lee is a really great writer who also Wrote a book of short stories called "Yellow". All of his stories are based in Rosarita Bay, a made up town that pretty much fits Half Moon Bay. this book is a good STORY. crazy characters that take you somewhere and with great humor. this book reminds me of Mark Chabon's books. the same heart and...more
I have a story about Don Lee before I copy/paste my review from Facebook.
In November of 2007 as a student at Pitt, I had the opportunity to go out to dinner with Don Lee and some of the faculty of the English Dept. We met at Umi and I had decided in advance that I was going to order sushi. I had never eaten sushi before, so I had no idea what was what when my platter was laid before me. Mr. Lee was seated to my immediate left, and kindly shared his knowledge of Japanese cuisine as w...more
In November of 2007 as a student at Pitt, I had the opportunity to go out to dinner with Don Lee and some of the faculty of the English Dept. We met at Umi and I had decided in advance that I was going to order sushi. I had never eaten sushi before, so I had no idea what was what when my platter was laid before me. Mr. Lee was seated to my immediate left, and kindly shared his knowledge of Japanese cuisine as w...more
This is a light-hearted book that doesn't take itself seriously - in a good way. It's definitely more plot-driven than character-driven but it was fun to read. Having once worked as a newspaper reporter in northern Delaware, where developers were snatching up any farms they could lay their hands on to turn them into subdivisions and make a tidy profit, I knew a few stubborn residents who stood in their way whenever they could, and that aspect of this book rang true.
I am always entertained with writing that is of the Asian American who and his struggles with with identity, his coming of age, as he studies to become a doctor, etc. However, this story is not like that at all. It is real, hilarious and an entertaining read about a Korean American brussel sprout farm in the armpit of California, where no Asian Americans actually reside (check my facts on that). And also his relationship with his estranged brother, now Hollywood producer. Throw in some other...more
I got this because I saw somewhere that it had gotten some sort of big humor award. It was good, well-written... but not all that funny. I've read a lot of things that were much funnier. Still, Lyndon and Woody and JuJu and Sheila and Ling Ling were good characters, there were a lot of interwoven storylines, and I enjoyed it. It just wasn't what I expected.
I'd give this a 3.5 star vote. Quick and fun read. Humorous and colorful characters. Brussel sprouts farmer Lyndon escaped NYC and its trappings for the rural seaside life. His quiet and orderly world is upset one weekend by his LA brother and various sidekicks. Mind candy.
it wasn't bad, i'm just not sure what the point was. i never ended up really liking or sympathizing with any of the characters, and it was kind of like a comedy of errors, though thankfully, all the incidents were handled lightly. not sure what to say about this one.
It was an enjoyable read. I thought the chracters were interesting and especially flawed. I did not see the ending monologue from the main character coming. All in all it was an amusing read and I was happy to spen the time engrossed in the story.
A great book that had me laughing and grinning many times. A tale of two brothers that wasn't afraid to show their flaws yet still made them likable. Contrived at times but still a good read.
A wonderful, engrossing read about two brothers trying to come to terms with each other unfolding in some of the funniest, and sometimes ruthless, interactions I've read in a while. Reminded me of Richard Russo's writing from 'The Risk Pool' and 'Nobody's Fool'. Highly recommended!
i kept wondering how this book was going to end. i guess i was expecting something more outrageous, but all in all i love this guys writing. hope he writes more. this would make one hell of a movie. i wonder if he was thinking that when he wrote it
About an artist-turned-brussel-sprouts-farmer and his many issues around family, fame and the art world. Seriously funny and still smart.
Jenny gave me this to take on my latest trip to Canada, and it was a great companion. silly story, rich characters; I liked it
I was waiting for some Ishmael Reed characters to come in and mix it up with Lee's crew. Excellent book.
Had some issues with how the plot line worked itself out, but enjoyed the ride along the way. :)
Close but no kimchi. It seemed like a Seoul-ful Milagro Beanfield War to me.
NPR story of the day recommended this as summer reading 2008
The novel follows a former famous artist who tries to find some peace in a quiet California town as a brussel sprouts farmer. Peace eludes him; he has to deal with a scheming, insecure brother, a crazed ex-girlfriend, and a corporation trying to take his farm away to be a golf course. There's some great moments in the book and I always enjoy a wacky ensemble cast. The writing is nice, but there was some element missing that kept me from turning the pages eagerly. Overall, pretty good and I'd...more
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“The simple exchange of legal tender for goods and services--was there anything more elemental, yet more beautiful? Money. No matter what anyone said, it was the answer to everything. When it came down to it, there was no human interaction that wasn't, at its core, a transaction.”
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“He didn't know why he was lying. Perhaps because his vanity was being engaged, and he wasn't above attending to his vanity.”
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