Scan barcode
A review by wingreads
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
5.0
"Everyone scounged for an identity defined by objects"
This was Min Jin Lee's debut novel: following the dreams of Casey, an assimulated Korean-American who went back to her family home where her Father Joseph and Mother Leah continued to toil away at the local dry cleaners as they cling onto their heritage and identity. Her sister Tina provides an in-between.
"...this is why poor people stay poor. They spend their money on pride"
Following Joesph's violent outburst, Casey leaves her family home and relies on her network to rebuild herself. This is a story centred on Casey's experience, but all of the supporting characters from her White boyfriend Jay, her flatmate Ella and her fiance Ted, friend Virginia, Colleague Hugo so forth; all of them have their own short commentary during their interaction with and around Casey. I particularly enjoyed these snippets - they reminded me a bit like the style of early SATC, where SJP may look at the camera to share an Easter Egg.
The Themes of Shame, entitlement and the grass is always greener ran throughout the story...Where everyone is trying to make their way through life, but often temptation is everywhere...
"I'm not saying you can't fuck up. I'm just saying you should be making those mistakes as you work towards your goals".
There is such rich character building, Lee has created complex backstories for each character, how they interact, think and react speaks volumes. Interestingly, Lee has commented on how we all buy into the unspoken demands of culture, materialism and the ongoing labour to match the shifting environments in order to appear legitimate.
"Words never matter, seasons mattered. Notice how people behave when they're desperate - that's who they are"
"Every minute matters, every damn minute.... you will see that for every day, every last moment spent, you were making a choice. And you will see the time you were given, the time you had, were wasted. Its gone. And you can't have any of it back"
This is a magnificent debut; more people should know about this. Hopefully with the acclaim achieved by Pachinko (Lee's second book, another astonishing and moving epic), more readers will discover Lee's backlist.
This was Min Jin Lee's debut novel: following the dreams of Casey, an assimulated Korean-American who went back to her family home where her Father Joseph and Mother Leah continued to toil away at the local dry cleaners as they cling onto their heritage and identity. Her sister Tina provides an in-between.
"...this is why poor people stay poor. They spend their money on pride"
Following Joesph's violent outburst, Casey leaves her family home and relies on her network to rebuild herself. This is a story centred on Casey's experience, but all of the supporting characters from her White boyfriend Jay, her flatmate Ella and her fiance Ted, friend Virginia, Colleague Hugo so forth; all of them have their own short commentary during their interaction with and around Casey. I particularly enjoyed these snippets - they reminded me a bit like the style of early SATC, where SJP may look at the camera to share an Easter Egg.
The Themes of Shame, entitlement and the grass is always greener ran throughout the story...Where everyone is trying to make their way through life, but often temptation is everywhere...
"I'm not saying you can't fuck up. I'm just saying you should be making those mistakes as you work towards your goals".
There is such rich character building, Lee has created complex backstories for each character, how they interact, think and react speaks volumes. Interestingly, Lee has commented on how we all buy into the unspoken demands of culture, materialism and the ongoing labour to match the shifting environments in order to appear legitimate.
"Words never matter, seasons mattered. Notice how people behave when they're desperate - that's who they are"
"Every minute matters, every damn minute.... you will see that for every day, every last moment spent, you were making a choice. And you will see the time you were given, the time you had, were wasted. Its gone. And you can't have any of it back"
This is a magnificent debut; more people should know about this. Hopefully with the acclaim achieved by Pachinko (Lee's second book, another astonishing and moving epic), more readers will discover Lee's backlist.