encyclopedia's review
Hmm! I don't know if I didn't fully get it, or if what I got was all there was to get. Might reread sometime
robinks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This story has such a cool concept, and the execution was surprisingly not too difficult to comprehend. It was also the perfect length - I think I would’ve lost interest if it was any longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
rondollah's review against another edition
5.0
Cathy has done something(s) remarkable with this book. The swirl of voices is incredibly powerful. Don't be scared off by the dialect play. It is deeply gripping throughout and absolutely necessary poetry.
jheinemann287's review against another edition
3.0
I put off reviewing this collection because I really, really want to say that I loved it. Unfortunately, this is a case in which the concept -- and even the execution -- is impressive as f*ck but just ... not fun to read. Hong's Guide (yes, in the spirit of Dante's Virgil) speaks in a language that mixes vocabulary and grammatical structures from a bunch of different languages, including Middle English, and yeah, it kind of reminded me of reading passages The Canterbury Tales in undergrad. You need to hear the verses aloud to understand them:
Basically, this shit is art ... but, like, art you need to read all the placards to *get.*
"Me fadder sees dis y decide to learn Engrish righteo dere. / Become a Jees cucking stool fo means o survival / me lineage biggum on survival. / 'E tell me dis pep gem: / You can be the best talker but no point of you can't / speak the other man's tongue. You can't chisel, con, plead, / seduce, beg for your life, you can't do anything, because you / know not their language. So learn them all" (46).And I know I just said these poems weren't fun to read, but I guess that's not 100% true. It IS fun, sometimes, when it all clicks and you feel super smart -- but it's fun in the way that a really complicated puzzle is fun. You feel accomplished. But no one would ever read this book on the beach with, like, a hazy IPA.
Basically, this shit is art ... but, like, art you need to read all the placards to *get.*
readorrot's review against another edition
5.0
This is the weirdest poetry collection I've ever read, and I love it. I will absolutely have to revisit it several times to full appreciate it. I can't even really say what it is about, it's part fairy-tale-like narrative, part linguistic study of dialect, part cultural commentary. I have no idea how Hong dreamed this up, but I'm glad she did. She utilizes so many skills throughout that the entire book feels like a flex.
maliagracesachi's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
sam8834's review against another edition
4.0
An ambitious, fascinating collection, detailing a fictional account of a desert world in a language that is an amalgamation of 300 tongues. I think you'd have to be very creatively and intellectually brilliant to take on this kind of project, and Hong pulls it off so well.
genteale's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0