oddly's review against another edition
5.0
Top notch literary fiction that isn't stale or dry or highfalutin. This book is incredible.
What do you do when you're a young white lesbian stuck in a strange and ill-fated marriage to a gay (male) poet who wants to lock you up in the crazy house and throw away the key? Obviously the answer is to kidnap your daughter, steal a dead black girl's identity for her, and go live in secrecy and abject poverty. Obviously.
The plot may seem far-fetched, but you can't say you aren't intrigued, am I right? And besides that, the writing is really amazing. The characters are funny, irreverent, and full of life. They aren't afraid to follow their heart, even when their brain (and everyone else) tells them they've made a huge mistake. I was honestly stuck on every page, laughing, cringing at all the bad decisions, and then wanting to be the characters.
What this book is really about is finding your place in the moment, in the world, in your own life. Everybody wants to fit in, but fitting in can be a lot of work and sometimes involves elaborate deceptions where you try to make people believe that you're something you're not just so that they'll accept you. Because being accepted is more important than being yourself...?
What is identity anyway? Maybe there are two basic dimensions to identity. The tangible things that we take for granted like your name, race, gender, heritage, or even your social standing. And then there are the fluid parts like your personality, interests, lifestyle, your job, or even the clothes you wear and food you eat. These things change, sometimes slowly over time and sometimes daily. But what if there aren't two dimensions? What if there is really just one and everything is fluid and changeable?
Racial identity, sexual identity, class, beliefs, interests, and anything else that we use to define ourselves and stake a claim in the world is what makes us who we are. But how much of that can you change? And how much of who you really are will actually change if you start upending those boundaries and blurring the lines?
With Zink behind the wheel, it's a hell of a journey, and one well worth taking. I've got her debut novel, [b:The Wallcreeper|22237292|The Wallcreeper|Nell Zink|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400625481s/22237292.jpg|41610859], at the top of my to-read pile and I can;t wait to see what else she's got coming.
What do you do when you're a young white lesbian stuck in a strange and ill-fated marriage to a gay (male) poet who wants to lock you up in the crazy house and throw away the key? Obviously the answer is to kidnap your daughter, steal a dead black girl's identity for her, and go live in secrecy and abject poverty. Obviously.
The plot may seem far-fetched, but you can't say you aren't intrigued, am I right? And besides that, the writing is really amazing. The characters are funny, irreverent, and full of life. They aren't afraid to follow their heart, even when their brain (and everyone else) tells them they've made a huge mistake. I was honestly stuck on every page, laughing, cringing at all the bad decisions, and then wanting to be the characters.
What this book is really about is finding your place in the moment, in the world, in your own life. Everybody wants to fit in, but fitting in can be a lot of work and sometimes involves elaborate deceptions where you try to make people believe that you're something you're not just so that they'll accept you. Because being accepted is more important than being yourself...?
What is identity anyway? Maybe there are two basic dimensions to identity. The tangible things that we take for granted like your name, race, gender, heritage, or even your social standing. And then there are the fluid parts like your personality, interests, lifestyle, your job, or even the clothes you wear and food you eat. These things change, sometimes slowly over time and sometimes daily. But what if there aren't two dimensions? What if there is really just one and everything is fluid and changeable?
Racial identity, sexual identity, class, beliefs, interests, and anything else that we use to define ourselves and stake a claim in the world is what makes us who we are. But how much of that can you change? And how much of who you really are will actually change if you start upending those boundaries and blurring the lines?
With Zink behind the wheel, it's a hell of a journey, and one well worth taking. I've got her debut novel, [b:The Wallcreeper|22237292|The Wallcreeper|Nell Zink|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400625481s/22237292.jpg|41610859], at the top of my to-read pile and I can;t wait to see what else she's got coming.
pingin505's review against another edition
4.0
Okay what an odd little book! I saw someone else write in their review that the author is sometimes a little too witty for her own good, and I would agree. But I also really liked it, and while the language is pretty pretentious, I don’t think the story line takes itself too seriously. Plus as a humanity’s based college student, I related to a lot of the references. And then diverse group of people represented was interesting.
kickpleat's review against another edition
4.0
Ho, ho! This is a smarty pants enjoyable fun read. The writing is excellent and there are many fun turns of phrase, but is it a dig that it's almost too clever? Regardless, a short fun summer read. 3.5 stars.
kylalouis's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed reading this book despite its bizarre premise and shift in tone for the second half of the book. It's irreverent satire was seemed refreshing, but in hindsight, some of that "satire" was a bit off-putting and troubling.
chrissymcbooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not quite sure if this book is smarter than I am or not.
So, that might be a strange way to begin my description of Mislaid by Nell Zink, but I can't even decide on a star rating, let alone a thoughtful, coherent review to leave right now.
The story is witty in a strange, satirical way. I mean, just look at the general description of the book - a young lesbian student has sexual relations with her college's resident gay poet professor, resulting in marriage, children, and a life that neither had ever quite imagined. Years of resisting against her nature leaves Peggy unfulfilled and angry, leading her to kidnap her young daughter and reinvent their existence as one that was far more impoverished - as African Americans.
Peggy finds it oddly easy to take on her new racial identity, and finds that nobody really questions the light-skinned blonde child with the social security number of a deceased black girl, so Peggy sees no need for Karen to know that she is actually white, with an emotionally unstable mother and a promiscuous father with enough family money to erase the poverty that the duo experiences in their new lifestyles.
Except, years later - when Karen and her dark-skinned boyfriend attend their first college party, they come across Karen's biological brother, Birdie, in a series of events that threatens the fragile fabrications of the life that Peggy has worked so hard to create for herself and her daughter.
How deep, exactly, does one's racial and familial identity really run - and can one fateful moment be enough to shatter it all?
I think that Mislaid, in its own quirky way, sheds light on racial inequality, racism, and the enormous impact that race, financial status, and familial standing have on the opportunities that life makes available. That said, I'm not entirely positive what, exactly, the author intended to convey - since the characters, while satirical, all ended up being really odd and unsettling - especially the degree to which Peggy was able to believe herself as a poor African American and the ease with which she could transition back again, even encountering the husband of the dead woman whose identity she took in such a calm, casual way that it was almost jarring. But, maybe that's the point.
Overall, I enjoyed the story - precisely because it was so strange, unique, and memorable. But, it's also these same perplexing moments - the ones that left me wondering if the book was smarter than me or just more self-assured without justification than I expected - that left me completely unable to formulate a proper review.
Give it a chance, though. Your results may vary.
So, that might be a strange way to begin my description of Mislaid by Nell Zink, but I can't even decide on a star rating, let alone a thoughtful, coherent review to leave right now.
The story is witty in a strange, satirical way. I mean, just look at the general description of the book - a young lesbian student has sexual relations with her college's resident gay poet professor, resulting in marriage, children, and a life that neither had ever quite imagined. Years of resisting against her nature leaves Peggy unfulfilled and angry, leading her to kidnap her young daughter and reinvent their existence as one that was far more impoverished - as African Americans.
Peggy finds it oddly easy to take on her new racial identity, and finds that nobody really questions the light-skinned blonde child with the social security number of a deceased black girl, so Peggy sees no need for Karen to know that she is actually white, with an emotionally unstable mother and a promiscuous father with enough family money to erase the poverty that the duo experiences in their new lifestyles.
Except, years later - when Karen and her dark-skinned boyfriend attend their first college party, they come across Karen's biological brother, Birdie, in a series of events that threatens the fragile fabrications of the life that Peggy has worked so hard to create for herself and her daughter.
How deep, exactly, does one's racial and familial identity really run - and can one fateful moment be enough to shatter it all?
I think that Mislaid, in its own quirky way, sheds light on racial inequality, racism, and the enormous impact that race, financial status, and familial standing have on the opportunities that life makes available. That said, I'm not entirely positive what, exactly, the author intended to convey - since the characters, while satirical, all ended up being really odd and unsettling - especially the degree to which Peggy was able to believe herself as a poor African American and the ease with which she could transition back again, even encountering the husband of the dead woman whose identity she took in such a calm, casual way that it was almost jarring. But, maybe that's the point.
Overall, I enjoyed the story - precisely because it was so strange, unique, and memorable. But, it's also these same perplexing moments - the ones that left me wondering if the book was smarter than me or just more self-assured without justification than I expected - that left me completely unable to formulate a proper review.
Give it a chance, though. Your results may vary.
shelfimprovement's review against another edition
I don't know what it is about this one -- the gender politics seem a little off and I'm not patient enough right now to stick with it and see whether Zink is doing that with intention, the writing feels a little choppy and the character development is very, very sluggish. So I'm setting this aside for now.
jjw's review
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
suzannacaldwell's review
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
olypawreads's review
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5