I just finished a wonderful story by Jamie Ford called Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It's the story of a Chinese man named Henry who came of age during World War II in Seattle. The story flips between his adult life in 1986 and his youth in 1942, revealing a lost love and the bonds between father and son. I was captivated by Henry from the start - a man who had just lost his wife to cancer, and who couldn't communicate with his son. And a boy who loved but resented his father, and who longed to be with a girl his family would never accept.
I really enjoyed getting to know Henry throughout the book, but I had one problem with it. The "present day" part of the story was set in 1986 - but was written more like 2009. The author mentions (in the first chapter!) that Henry's son was using an online support group to help him cope with his mother's death. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't remember anyone being online in 1986. Is there any way that could have been accurate?
Other than that one issue, I truly enjoyed the book. Has anyone else read this story? If so, what were your thoughts? Did you agree with some of the decisions Henry made? The characters in this book were really what brought it to life for me - I felt like I really knew Henry, inside and out. Have you ever read a book where you became so attached to the characters that you didn't want it to end?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tastes of bitter and sweet
Labels:
father,
love,
Seattle,
son,
World War II
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Wow, that sure sounds like an anachronism, but wildly, it's sort of not. Check out this thread here about just what you spotted. The author comes into the thread and talks about the online support group in 1986: http://thebluestockings.com/2009/05/hotel-on-the-corner-of-bitter-and-sweet/
Sounds like a neat book.
Wow Joy, thanks for that link! It's great to know that the reference was not a mistake after all. Interesting too that he intends on changing it for the paperback version!
Post a Comment