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3 out of 4 stars
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Wog in a Fish Shop is Ross Leondiou's reflection of what it was to be him, a Greek boy raised in an Australian suburb in the 60s. Through this book, the author intends to show how good it is to be living in the present. He talks about his early childhood and various events surrounding it during the 1960s.
The author began by describing a series of events that led to the birth of their fish shop. Ross then takes readers through some of the events that constitute his growing-up memories. The events described in the publication include his money-making escapades with his friends in primary school and his incinerator activities with his playmates. We also learn about how the author and the Greek-Australian community prepared for the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Readers would also read about how he shot his neighbor on his forehead just before he became a teenager, how his mother tried to set him up with a girl, and the story in between.
Did you know that back in the 60s in Australia, a certain man was not arrested after crashing into public property? They said it wasn’t his fault since he was drunk while driving. Isn’t that the funniest thing you’ve read today? I had a lot of good laughs while reading this book because the book had numerous stories that I found funny and refreshing. I also like that the author combined the first-person and third-person narrative styles to tell his story. He also fleshed out the events he described using reported speeches. As a result, I felt like I was there in person, experiencing each event.
I also like how the author started the book by providing the meanings of several Greek words. As a result, I didn’t feel lost when I confronted them later in the text. Even when I encountered Greek phrases that weren’t included on that page, Ross did well to provide the translations immediately after them. Another thing I like about the publication is that I learned a few things from it. For example, I learned the origin of the word “masticate.”
However, I didn’t like that the author didn’t attach any year to most of the events he narrated. Yes, I know that most of the events the author narrated happened in the 60s, but it would be nice to know exactly what year they took place. That way, I would be able to tell exactly how old the author was when they happened and decide whether or not his actions at the time were in line with his age.
Another aspect of the publication that needs improvement is the editing. I found up to ten errors throughout the text, which makes me believe that the book isn’t professionally edited. I rate this publication 3 out of 4 stars. I deducted one star because of the errors I found. The book doesn’t deserve any less than three stars because it is well written, and I enjoyed it. I don’t think the other negative point I explained is enough reason to deduct another star. I recommend this edition to people that love reading books about history. Readers that like to read about other people’s experiences would also enjoy this read. This book contains the use of profane words and racial slurs, so sensitive readers should steer clear.
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Wog in a fish shop
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