Rebecca's review
Native Speaker
by Chang-Rae Lee
Rebecca's review
Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee
Rebecca's review
rating:
I'm surprised at how uneven this book is--the writing is very inconsistent, and the characterizations are thin and uncompelling. As for the plot, I can only assume that it was written with selling the movie rights in mind? It borders on the ridiculous.
And, it falls into one of my most hated cliches--the dead baby story. The baby died and then I suddenly found myself reevaluating my life. The baby died and then my relationship was on the rocks. The baby died and I almost lost my job. The baby died and my wife cut off all her hair. The baby died and my wife had an affair. Can we muddle through? If any of these felt real or deeply felt in the narrative, it might be convincing, but none of them did.
And, it falls into one of my most hated cliches--the dead baby story. The baby died and then I suddenly found myself reevaluating my life. The baby died and then my relationship was on the rocks. The baby died and I almost lost my job. The baby died and my wife cut off all her hair. The baby died and my wife had an affair. Can we muddle through? If any of these felt real or deeply felt in the narrative, it might be convincing, but none of them did.
