Sunday, September 2, 2018

Book Brief: Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee


by Min Jin Lee
Grand Central Publishing, 2007
577 pages 

narrated by Shelly Frasier
Tantor Audio, 2007
19 hours and 56 minutes 

Motivation for reading: 
I loved Pachinko and was curious about the author's earlier work.

Source:
ebook, purchased as a kindle daily deal
audio, downloaded from the library via hoopla

Publisher's summary:

Free Food for Millionaires, the debut novel from Min Jin Lee, takes on daunting themes of love, money, race, and belief systems in this mostly satisfying tale. Casey Han is a Princeton grad, class of '93, and it is her conflicts, relationships, and temperament that inform the novel. She is the child of immigrant Korean parents who work in the same laundry in Queens where they have always worked and are trying hard to hang on to their culture. Casey has catapulted out of that life on scholarships but now that college is over, she hasn't the same opportunities as her white friends, even though she has acquired all of their expensive habits.

The concept of free food for millionaires is the perfect irony that describes much of what Casey faces. Walter, one of her bosses, says, when a huge buffet lunch is delivered to the floor: "It's free food for millionaires... In the International Equities Department--that is, Asia, Europe, and Japan Sales--the group you're interviewing for--whichever desk that sells a deal buys lunch for everyone in the department."

Opening paragraph:
1
OPTIONS  
Competence can be a curse.
As a capable young woman, Casey Hahn felt compelled to choose respectability and success. But it was glamour and insight that she craved. A Korean immigrant who'd grown up in a dim, blue-collar neighborhood in Queens, she'd hoped for a bright, glittering life beyond the workhorse struggles of her parents, who managed a Manhattan dry cleaner. 

My thoughts:

Free Food for Millionaires  is a big, exciting novel about... well, almost everything! Money and power, race and culture, love and sex, class, education, privilege, identity, and even fashion. It focuses on a Korean-American community in New York City in the 1990s, and I simply couldn't put it down.

This book is so good, yet so different from Lee's more recent novel, Pachinko (my thoughts) and, in the words of my 80-something mother, a lot "racier" too. Set in 1990s NYC, this fast-paced novel with multiple characters and plot lines will keep you turning its nearly 600 pages.

The audiobook, narrated by Shelly Frasier, was very well done. I enjoyed switching back and forth between print and audio... listening on my morning walks and reading in the evenings. That has become my preferred reading method these days.

An interesting aside, this novel was edited by Bill Clegg, author of Did You Ever Have a Family - a personal favorite from 2015.

My rating:

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19 comments:

  1. Oh, yes, this one does sound good. Thanks for sharing...although 600 pages sounds like quite a commitment. LOL

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    Replies
    1. Laurel-Rain Snow - This book was surprisingly short for being nearly 600 pages, if you know what I mean ;-)

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  2. I, too, loved Pachinko. I have this in print - maybe I'll pick it up next. By the way, if Lee ever does an event near you, go see her - she's so smart and interesting.

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    1. Kathy - I saw her interviewed on PBS after their book club read Pachinko and thought she was great! Hope she does have an event near me... fingers crossed.

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  3. I may have to try your listen/read method since lately I've been having a difficult time finishing a book!

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    Replies
    1. Les - My read/listen combinations have really helped me get through books in the last year or two. I just don't seem to sit and read as often as I used to...

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  4. Vicki - I seem to be on a streak of long books again!

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  5. You have made me want to read this book! It sounds exciting and adventurous!

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  6. Glad u enjoyed this so much. I also love the read/listen combos whenever possible. Just did that with Calypso and The Perfect Couple, now with The Cabin at the End of the World as well.

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    1. Diane - The read/listen combo is my favorite way to read these days.

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  7. I like the idea of switching between print & audio but I think I've only done it once with Home Fire b/c the typeface was so small. It seems to help the momentum though. It's great you've read both her books now. I need to get on it!

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    1. Susan - Switching between print and media is like total immersion... I love it!

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  8. Hi JoAnn, this looks like a goodie. I hope you'll have time to bring this over to Books You Loved: September so everyone can see it. Cheers from Carole's Chatter

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    Replies
    1. Carole - It's such a good read! I'll take a look at the link up.

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  9. I still haven't read Pachinko but now I'll have to add this one to my list too. Sounds so good!

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    Replies
    1. Iliana - Read Pachinko... I'll bet it will want to make you try this one, too!

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