I'm not quite sure what to write about this book by Gene Luen Yang. I liked it -- a lot -- but it's one of those that defy description. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it -- thanks to the Herding Cats challenge and Dewey's list. I like graphic novels; the reading experience is so completely different from that of a regular novel. And I appreciate that some stories are told better through the medium. This is one of those stories.
Jin is a first generation Chinese-American, and this is his story. Interspersed with a story about the Monkey King, and a sitcom-like story with a terrible stereotypical Chinese lead, it's a simple, straightforward tale about a boy trying to balance his desire to fit in with his classmates and his Chinese culture and appearance. It's a fascinating story, well told, funny, and heartbreaking at the same time.
The only quibble is that the ending felt kind of forced. I could see how it fit, and understood what Yang was working towards... but it still ended too abruptly for me. Other than that, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey that Yang took me on.
May 22, 2008
American Born Chinese
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4 observations:
I've heard really good things about this book. I haven't read it yet, but I'm glad to hear that you liked it overall. I'll have to check it out sometime. :-)
You won the House of Dance contest over at my blog! Send me an email with your address info so I can get you a signed copy. emsbookshelf (at) gmail.com
I wanted to enjoy this book, but the wrap-it-all-up part of the book just didn't do it for me. Maybe I'll wait a year and try it again.
I've also read this book and I liked it OK. Unfortunately, I read Persepolis at the same time and I think this one just got overshadowed.
Glad you enjoyed this one! It's one that's great for teaching in college classes. I'll probably use it often until my dying day.
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