If you enjoy reading my blog, but want to get into more discussion with a wider audience, check out this link:
New York Times Reading Room Blogs
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
After running out of books on my must read list, I put up a Facebook status asking for suggestions. Of course, I was inundated with them, and promply requested them from my library. From that list, I found what I am currently reading: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It is a novel that I would classify as historical fiction (without actually knowing if that statement is accurate). It tells about the life of a young Chinese-American boy who lived in the international district of Seattle in the 1940s, and also his life now as an older man still living in the same area. It is told from his perspective with alternating chapters from each part of his life, entitled with the year. It is a very interesting and heart-wrenching story.
As a child, Henry is a second generation Chinese immigrant living with his parents in Chinatown. His parents don't speak any English, but they send him to an American school, and tell him to "only speak his American", even to them who only speak Cantonese!
Henry is "scholarshipping" at Rainier elementary, as one of only two nonwhite students. The other is a Japanese-American girl named Keiko. As part of Henry and Keiko's "scholarshipping", they work in the cafeteria serving and cleaning up after the white students. Despite his father's racism toward the Japanese, and belief that the Japanese are responsible for all of the terrible events occuring in China, Henry develops a friendship with Keiko. All of the white students at the school, and many adults Henry encounter in the street are racist toward him. They think he is Japanese, and treat him as such. Or if they know he's Chinese, they still treat him badly because he isn't white.
Keiko's perspective is quite different than Henry's. Her parents are English speaking Americans of Japanese descent. Keiko doesn't know any Japanese. Although, none of the white characters in the story bother to find that out before throwing racial slurs her way. Henry and Keiko find refuge from all of the racism and closed-mindedness they encounter every day, in each other.
As an adult, Henry has a strained relationship with his son. He realizes, maybe too late, that his relationship with his son has a lot of the same problems as his relationship with his own father had. As the story unfolds, Henry and his son connect and grow in their relationship through discussing Henry's childhood relationship with Keiko. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a great story (so far), and I would recommend it to all.
As a child, Henry is a second generation Chinese immigrant living with his parents in Chinatown. His parents don't speak any English, but they send him to an American school, and tell him to "only speak his American", even to them who only speak Cantonese!
Henry is "scholarshipping" at Rainier elementary, as one of only two nonwhite students. The other is a Japanese-American girl named Keiko. As part of Henry and Keiko's "scholarshipping", they work in the cafeteria serving and cleaning up after the white students. Despite his father's racism toward the Japanese, and belief that the Japanese are responsible for all of the terrible events occuring in China, Henry develops a friendship with Keiko. All of the white students at the school, and many adults Henry encounter in the street are racist toward him. They think he is Japanese, and treat him as such. Or if they know he's Chinese, they still treat him badly because he isn't white.
Keiko's perspective is quite different than Henry's. Her parents are English speaking Americans of Japanese descent. Keiko doesn't know any Japanese. Although, none of the white characters in the story bother to find that out before throwing racial slurs her way. Henry and Keiko find refuge from all of the racism and closed-mindedness they encounter every day, in each other.
As an adult, Henry has a strained relationship with his son. He realizes, maybe too late, that his relationship with his son has a lot of the same problems as his relationship with his own father had. As the story unfolds, Henry and his son connect and grow in their relationship through discussing Henry's childhood relationship with Keiko. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a great story (so far), and I would recommend it to all.
Haruki Murakami
So, by now you must know that I love fantasy novels. I mentioned to an aquaintance that although I love them, I feel the need to read some books written for adults. She suggested that I read Haruki Murakami, and actually said that she had read his complete works over the previous six months. She said that they would give me the fantasy fix that I usually find in young adult series.
So, I read Haruki Murakami's complete works last year. His style is really fiction with some sci-fi elements. Most of his characters lead relatively normal existences, for Japanese people living in the 1980s. However, they somehow find themselves in unrealistic sci-fi or fantasy situations. Since they are regular people living regular lives, they do realize the insanity of the situations in which they find themselves.
I found myself eager to find out what happened and the reasons why these strange things were happenning. Although I was interested, and enjoyed the reads, they didn't hook me as much as some of the young adult series I've read. What I found annoying and sometimes infuriating is that Murakami doesn't usually explain why! When I read mysteries, I love to try and figure out the reasons why, and love finding out all of the information in the end. Murakami did not give me the satisfaction I was looking for. He often just ends the story with the characters going back to their regular lives, never really giving any closure. Nonetheless, I did always promply pick up another of his novels after finishing the previous one. They must have provided me with something I enjoyed, moreso than just the feeling of accomplishment I sought for reading his complete works.
So, I read Haruki Murakami's complete works last year. His style is really fiction with some sci-fi elements. Most of his characters lead relatively normal existences, for Japanese people living in the 1980s. However, they somehow find themselves in unrealistic sci-fi or fantasy situations. Since they are regular people living regular lives, they do realize the insanity of the situations in which they find themselves.
I found myself eager to find out what happened and the reasons why these strange things were happenning. Although I was interested, and enjoyed the reads, they didn't hook me as much as some of the young adult series I've read. What I found annoying and sometimes infuriating is that Murakami doesn't usually explain why! When I read mysteries, I love to try and figure out the reasons why, and love finding out all of the information in the end. Murakami did not give me the satisfaction I was looking for. He often just ends the story with the characters going back to their regular lives, never really giving any closure. Nonetheless, I did always promply pick up another of his novels after finishing the previous one. They must have provided me with something I enjoyed, moreso than just the feeling of accomplishment I sought for reading his complete works.
If you like Harry Potter, you will like The Lord of the Rings
As you've read, I love Harry Potter! I have been hearing for years that I should read The Lord of the Rings. I actually read The Hobbit in High School and really enjoyed it. I had thought several times over the years about reading the rest of the series, but after seeing the movies, I didn't have any motivation to do so. I tried reading The Fellowship of the Ring several years ago, but after reading what felt like several pages all describing the same tree, I gave up. I enjoyed the movies, but becasue I knew what would happen, I didn't have a strong enough desire to get through reading them.
After reading several books actually written for adults last year, as opposed to the young adult selections I typically enjoy, I decided to give The Lord of the Rings another try. Since it had been nine years since I read The Hobbit, I decided to begin by re-reading it. It was very detailed, and took me a while to get through, but I did enjoy it. I am glad that I read it, but I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. As an educator who found her love of reading as a teenager, I try to suggest books that foster a love of reading. I think that there are very few people for whom The Lord of the Rings would foster a love of reading.
After finishing The Hobbit, I took a break and read some lighter selections for easy summer reading. After that, I did begin to read The Fellowship of the Ring. While doing so, I heard from several people who had read the series that The Fellowship of the Ring is the hardest to get through, but once you do, you'll love the series. I pushed through the dense parts, and really began to enjoy the book. It took longer to read than some other books, but it wasn't a bad experience. Eventually, however, other books that I requested at the library came in. I decided to put down The Fellowship of the Ring until I finish my library books. I know that I need to make sure that the break isn't too long, because I don't want to have to start over, or to lose interest. Wish me the best of luck in eventually completing The Lord of the Rings trilogy!
After reading several books actually written for adults last year, as opposed to the young adult selections I typically enjoy, I decided to give The Lord of the Rings another try. Since it had been nine years since I read The Hobbit, I decided to begin by re-reading it. It was very detailed, and took me a while to get through, but I did enjoy it. I am glad that I read it, but I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. As an educator who found her love of reading as a teenager, I try to suggest books that foster a love of reading. I think that there are very few people for whom The Lord of the Rings would foster a love of reading.
After finishing The Hobbit, I took a break and read some lighter selections for easy summer reading. After that, I did begin to read The Fellowship of the Ring. While doing so, I heard from several people who had read the series that The Fellowship of the Ring is the hardest to get through, but once you do, you'll love the series. I pushed through the dense parts, and really began to enjoy the book. It took longer to read than some other books, but it wasn't a bad experience. Eventually, however, other books that I requested at the library came in. I decided to put down The Fellowship of the Ring until I finish my library books. I know that I need to make sure that the break isn't too long, because I don't want to have to start over, or to lose interest. Wish me the best of luck in eventually completing The Lord of the Rings trilogy!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Can we ever replace Harry Potter?
A school we always dreamed we could go to, characters we felt were our lifelong friends, a world we wished existed, Harry Potter was a part of our lives; not just a book series.
I've read and re-read the series countless times. I've also read them a few times in French, Spanish, and even Italian. Every time I read a Harry Potter book, I have a connection that I haven't found while reading any other book. I think part of it has to do with the fact that it is such a long series. The reader really has a chance to get to know the characters; their highs, lows, and everything in between.
Harry Potter is what made me fall in love with reading. It has become one of my favorite things to do. But, no matter how much I enjoy the book I am reading, I haven't again found that profound connection I had to Harry Potter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)