The characters were also a bit stale. I couldn’t relate to many of them. They were either too selfish, or far too giving. Lee’s characters weren’t very likable either. Like the majority of people who read this book on goodreads.com, I also didn’t like the main character Casey Han. I found her ‘wonder woman cuffs’ silly. Although there was nothing wrong with her towards the end of the book, the way she kept messing up her life and those around her made me mad.
I think overall, this story does have potential, it offers an insight into the Korean-American way of life, the adversities they went through, and how they have shaped their identity in the US.
Having said that, the Korean men got given quite a bad reputation by Lee. Almost all of them are two-timing, rapist, self-centred, egotistical chauvinistic pigs. And there was a part of me that didn’t quite agree with that. It felt Lee was cashing in on the stereotype ‘asian male’ figure, so that her western readers might identify with it. But all she did was end up painting a very dire portrait of her own people, which some might argue amounts to a certain backstabbing of her own culture.
Overall, I don’t think this book deserves the literary raves it is getting. Amy Tan did much, much better with Joy Luck Club. My advice = go read that instead.
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Wordly Obsessions 
It does make you wonder how some books get into print. 500 pages? Wow. i don’t think I would have made it!
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It’s a shame when lack of editing ruins what could be a really good book. I can’t remember the author, but I read a quote once about a writer who, when editing, relied more on scissors than an eraser!
I appreciate you for reading the full book….oh God 500 pages of a bad book
Hi Tabitha, yep, it’s surprising what actually gets into rpint these days. And the front cover is so misleadingly gorgeous!
Lisa, I think this book could have done with those scissors! There was a lot of mindless prattling on about how the main character was unhappy with her background, her parents, her heritage, and her general lot in life. I came away with a negative impression of Korean Americans. Casey in particular came across as a spoilt brat who should be grateful for graduating from a prestigious university, but never is.
Selva, it was long, but I finished it purely because I wanted to see if the spoilt brat would get her comeuppance in the end. Needless to say, I was disappointed!
A bit late, but thanks for pointing out how she stereotypes Korean men; although interestingly enough the Korean men that are portrayed badly in the book had or have white girlfriends/ white wives….
Yeah, it just didn’t sit right with me. I hope she has improved though. I think she has had a few other books out now. I love Far Eastern fiction and I think I need to read more by Korean authors.