Define Based On Books Typical American
| Title | : | Typical American |
| Author | : | Gish Jen |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 304 pages |
| Published | : | May 14th 1998 by Granta Books (first published 1991) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Cultural. China. Novels. Literature. American. Adult Fiction |
Ilustration To Books Typical American
From the beloved author of Mona in the Promised Land and The Love Wife comes this comic masterpiece, an insightful novel of immigrants experiencing the triumphs and trials of American life.
Gish Jen reinvents the American immigrant story through the Chang family, who first come to the United States with no intention of staying. When the Communists assume control of China in 1949, though, Ralph Chang, his sister Theresa, and his wife Helen, find themselves in a crisis. At first, they cling to their old-world ideas of themselves. But as they begin to dream the American dream of self-invention, they move poignantly and ironically from people who disparage all that is “typical American” to people who might be seen as typically American themselves. With droll humor and a deep empathy for her characters, Gish Jen creates here a superbly engrossing story that resonates with wit and wisdom even as it challenges the reader to reconsider what a typical American might be today.
Identify Books As Typical American
| Original Title: | Typical American |
| ISBN: | 186207111X (ISBN13: 9781862071117) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Fiction (1991) |
Rating Based On Books Typical American
Ratings: 3.42 From 1456 Users | 129 ReviewsColumn Based On Books Typical American
This was not a joy to read. Up until the last 12 pages it all just kept plodding along heavily, the characters didn't make me laugh and I usually find Asian immigrants HILARIOUS. Yifeng (Ralph) Chang comes to the US from China to study engineering. He starts out proud of his virtuous ethical ideals and then they disappear. Same thing happens to his sister Theresa and eventual wife Helen. Ralph befriends a Chinese-American named Grover Ding, a millionaire with questionable morals of his own, andI'm fond of books with protagonists I like and this book had none. That said, everybody had foibles that I can relate to, but the number of cringe-worthy situations almost made me put this book down. How can bright people do stupid things? The story I should have - wanted to - absorb was the difficulties of being an immigrant, but the interpersonal drama mostly eclipsed that message. I'm conflicted about whether to pursue Jen's other books.
3.5 stars [Review to come]
This book should be required reading at my office.*I have long wondered how my Chinese clients pick their Americanized name. How does Xiangxin become John? And Wenxia become Sara? The book solves the mystery! They have the secretary at their colleges office of international education pick it for them. Said secretary rolls through a mental list of all her ex-boyfriends. Its like spinning the wheel of fortune. Voila, Yifeng becomes Ralph! Even Ralph seems letdown by this process: Walking home,
read for school, did not enjoy it. Little explanation on how Ralph and Helen even have chemistry, storyline rushes forward. Unnecessary Chinese volcab inserted. Save ur time and souls ppl.
Gish Jen's Typical American surveys a broad range of immigrant Chinese American experience, and is populated by round, psychologically complex characters interacting in believable and striking ways. Jen's flaw as an author might only be a flaw of the Chinese American community itself, a tendency to presume "too much democracy" and too much equality in a country that has a bit more complex melding of Western tradition, class division and attachment to its roots than appears at first sight.
I couldn't finish this book. The writing style was suffocatingly bland and I didn't care about any of the characters: Ralph, Helen, Theresa. They represent a very narrow slice of the Chinese American experience: privileged, overeducated and smug, possibly like the author. I couldn't relate to any of them, and whatever racism they must have experienced coming to America in the 1950s is ridiculously minimized and glossed over. Chinese-Americans are still seen as "foreign" 50 years after WWII so to
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