Book-a-Week 3: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
I'm caught up!!!!!!
Week 3: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
My brother had to read this book for ninth grade summer reading, so my mom read it and thought it was the best thing ever, and bought it for me for Christmas.
My mom was right.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is the story of Henry Lee (Who I am now determined is the one mentioned in the Train song.) a second generation Chinese-American growing up in Seattle in the 1940s. He meets a second generation Japanese-American girl, Keiko at school, and the story progresses from there. The story is told switching between Henry in the 1980s, dealing with the death of his wife and his relationship with his son Marty, and Henry in the 40s dealing with his relationship with his father, his relationship with Keiko as well as social issues like the Japanese internment. Also Jazz.
I loved every minute of reading this book. And I cried.
Pros:
1. The writing is exquisite.
2. The characters are believable, and well-developed, and varied, and ...
3. The historical fiction is fascinating, and while very biased (though is anyone not biased against Japanese internment?) it's not a big I HAVE SOCIAL COMMENTARY TO MAKE SO LISTEN TO ME SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT! sort of book. Which makes it all the more effective.
4. It is one of the most brilliant coming-of-age stories I have read. And no pets are harmed in the reading of the book!
5. This is a book of slow, deep, but subtle emotion. Frankly, I'm jealous, because this is the book I want to write some day.
6. This book is an absolutely realistic fairy tale about real life. You have to read it to know what I mean. See also 5b.
Cons
1. Just to have a con -- I was confused several times while I was reading about where we were in time. Henry in the 1980s will reminisce to one or two years previously with no warning, and I didn't realize that he had. But it fit into the narrative style, so I'm laying most, if not all, of the blame for that on my reading, rather than on Ford's writing.
MY RECOMMENDATION: READ IT!!!!!!!!! READ IT NOW!!!!!!!!!! WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE READING THIS LAME REVIEW WHEN YOU COULD BE AT THE LIBRARY BORROWING THIS BOOK, OR ON AMAZON BUYING IT????????? GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Week 3: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
My brother had to read this book for ninth grade summer reading, so my mom read it and thought it was the best thing ever, and bought it for me for Christmas.
My mom was right.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is the story of Henry Lee (Who I am now determined is the one mentioned in the Train song.) a second generation Chinese-American growing up in Seattle in the 1940s. He meets a second generation Japanese-American girl, Keiko at school, and the story progresses from there. The story is told switching between Henry in the 1980s, dealing with the death of his wife and his relationship with his son Marty, and Henry in the 40s dealing with his relationship with his father, his relationship with Keiko as well as social issues like the Japanese internment. Also Jazz.
I loved every minute of reading this book. And I cried.
Pros:
1. The writing is exquisite.
2. The characters are believable, and well-developed, and varied, and ...
3. The historical fiction is fascinating, and while very biased (though is anyone not biased against Japanese internment?) it's not a big I HAVE SOCIAL COMMENTARY TO MAKE SO LISTEN TO ME SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT! sort of book. Which makes it all the more effective.
4. It is one of the most brilliant coming-of-age stories I have read. And no pets are harmed in the reading of the book!
5. This is a book of slow, deep, but subtle emotion. Frankly, I'm jealous, because this is the book I want to write some day.
6. This book is an absolutely realistic fairy tale about real life. You have to read it to know what I mean. See also 5b.
Cons
1. Just to have a con -- I was confused several times while I was reading about where we were in time. Henry in the 1980s will reminisce to one or two years previously with no warning, and I didn't realize that he had. But it fit into the narrative style, so I'm laying most, if not all, of the blame for that on my reading, rather than on Ford's writing.
MY RECOMMENDATION: READ IT!!!!!!!!! READ IT NOW!!!!!!!!!! WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE READING THIS LAME REVIEW WHEN YOU COULD BE AT THE LIBRARY BORROWING THIS BOOK, OR ON AMAZON BUYING IT????????? GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!