Review by hoosgotd -- Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar
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hoosgotd
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Review by hoosgotd -- Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar
[Following is a volunteer review of "Mock My Words" by Chandra Shekhar.]
Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar follows the journey of David Tan - a Chinese immigrant and award-winning novelist - as he attempts to navigate his new career as a professor in the U.S., legacy as a novelist, and crumbling marriage. Almost immediately, the reader is given a preview of the challenges that David is going to face. David, despite being a literary and written genius, struggles with spoken English. While this fact is curiously never explained, the net result is that David and his students fail to connect almost immediately. Meanwhile, at “home,” David’s marriage with his mercurial wife – Laura – is hanging on by a thread. The fraught situation is only exacerbated when Laura takes on a stressful and career-defining project at her PR firm.
Chandra then masterfully introduces and layers on top of everything the concept of immigrant guilt. While this area is never fully explored, it quickly becomes clear to the reader that David’s existential crises extend beyond the obvious. As a first generation immigrant, David is also tormented by his perceived failure at filial piety (an important virtue in Chinese culture) and his fear of disappointing his father.
Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The novel is fast-paced, satisfying, and easy to read. Chandra’s sharp dialogue and vivid descriptions help bring both the settings and characters to life. The plot twists are exciting and engaging, and the feelings that are expressed are highly relatable. Furthermore, one quickly becomes a fan of the David Tan – the embattled protagonist, despite all his flaws. The book is overall a fantastic entry into the literary world for Chandra Shekhar.
If I could offer two critiques however, they would be 1) the relative short length of the book and 2) the heavy use of caricature for some of the side characters. The two are undoubtedly interrelated. Due to the short length of the book, the reader is never quite able to fully unpack all the complexities of each plotline or learn the full stories of the characters. The net result is slightly exaggerated characters who lack a bit in development and plotlines that wrap up a bit too neatly. For example, is one to believe that a few well-written PR reports to the media would settle all the issues that Laura and her client had been facing?
That being said, the book is beautifully written and an enjoyable read. The book is well-suited for a wide range of audiences, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a small escape in these times. While the language is sometimes unnecessarily advanced (perhaps an ironic play on David Tan’s own style), the book is approachable for young adult readers and up.
******
Mock My Words
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar follows the journey of David Tan - a Chinese immigrant and award-winning novelist - as he attempts to navigate his new career as a professor in the U.S., legacy as a novelist, and crumbling marriage. Almost immediately, the reader is given a preview of the challenges that David is going to face. David, despite being a literary and written genius, struggles with spoken English. While this fact is curiously never explained, the net result is that David and his students fail to connect almost immediately. Meanwhile, at “home,” David’s marriage with his mercurial wife – Laura – is hanging on by a thread. The fraught situation is only exacerbated when Laura takes on a stressful and career-defining project at her PR firm.
Chandra then masterfully introduces and layers on top of everything the concept of immigrant guilt. While this area is never fully explored, it quickly becomes clear to the reader that David’s existential crises extend beyond the obvious. As a first generation immigrant, David is also tormented by his perceived failure at filial piety (an important virtue in Chinese culture) and his fear of disappointing his father.
Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The novel is fast-paced, satisfying, and easy to read. Chandra’s sharp dialogue and vivid descriptions help bring both the settings and characters to life. The plot twists are exciting and engaging, and the feelings that are expressed are highly relatable. Furthermore, one quickly becomes a fan of the David Tan – the embattled protagonist, despite all his flaws. The book is overall a fantastic entry into the literary world for Chandra Shekhar.
If I could offer two critiques however, they would be 1) the relative short length of the book and 2) the heavy use of caricature for some of the side characters. The two are undoubtedly interrelated. Due to the short length of the book, the reader is never quite able to fully unpack all the complexities of each plotline or learn the full stories of the characters. The net result is slightly exaggerated characters who lack a bit in development and plotlines that wrap up a bit too neatly. For example, is one to believe that a few well-written PR reports to the media would settle all the issues that Laura and her client had been facing?
That being said, the book is beautifully written and an enjoyable read. The book is well-suited for a wide range of audiences, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a small escape in these times. While the language is sometimes unnecessarily advanced (perhaps an ironic play on David Tan’s own style), the book is approachable for young adult readers and up.
******
Mock My Words
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
