Book Review- Jade Chang's The Wangs vs. the World

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an advanced copy of Jade Chang's novel, The Wangs vs. the World, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Charles Wang's life is imploding. The immense fortune from his cosmetics empire, a business that he built from the ground up when he immigrated from China, is gone. Due to bad investments, his business, his cars, house, and most of his savings are gone. Charles must break the news to his three children, all of whom were born in America and who have never known poverty. 

His fashionista, youngest daughter, Grace, is pulled out of her private boarding school. Andrew, his son who has aspirations of being a comedian, is forced to drop out of college. Charles takes his spoiled wife, Barbra and his kids, on a cross-country road trip, to the home of his eldest daughter, Saina. Saina, an artist in New York, is the only family member with assets. Unbeknownst to his family, Charles has a grander scheme of returning to China to reclaim his family ancestral land that was lost during the Cultural Revolution. 

LIKE-  Chang has written a modern day The Grapes of Wrath. I love Steinbeck and his masterpiece is one of my favorite classic novels, so I do not give this praise lightly. The similarities are not just a journey story, but more in the way that Chang focuses on the impact this new circumstance has on each of her characters, how they both bond together. and have their private revelations. The theme is change, in all of its forms.

Wangs vs. the World has a slow build and like peeling back the layers of an onion, Chang slowly reveals the layers. After the first third of the story, I was completely captivated by these characters, especially Charles, who has seemingly lost everything, but keeps pushing forward. Charles is a bold contrast to his children, who also have big dreams, but are unsure of themselves. Their sudden change in circumstance makes them question their ambitions, rather than take notice of their father, a self-made man. What's interesting about Charles, is when he has lost what he has built, he looks towards reclaiming the land that his family has lost, which seems like a far more difficult goal than rebuilding his business. Maybe that's the point; Charles reaching for the sky. Chang has filled her story with complex characters, who are struggling to find a course for their lives, as they deal with family, cultural, and economic issues. 

I think it's fairly obvious that a major theme of the story would be Charles realizing that despite his wealth, he is a lucky man for his family. However, Chang doesn't write such an trite story. The Wangs have their differences and normal family misunderstandings, but this is never a family that lacks love or takes each other for granted. The kids are not simply spoiled rich kids and Charles is not the hardworking businessman who sacrifices his family to build a business. The bonds run deep in the Wang family.

Chang lightens the mood with a frequent dose of humor, often due to an awkward or uncomfortable situation. The story heads in unexpected and kind of zany directions. I never knew where Chang was going to take her story next, which is a huge part of the charm. 

DISLIKE- I didn't  immediately get into the story, it took about a hundred pages to hook me. The characters take awhile to grow on me. If I hadn't been given an advanced copy, I'm not sure that I would have stuck with it. I'm glad I did though.

RECOMMEND- Yes. Chang is an immense talent. The Wangs vs. The World is an epic ride with a lot of heart. I found Charles, with his plucky spirit to be inspirational. 

Movie Review- Author: The JT LeRoy Story

PLOT- In the mid 90's author JT LeRoy took the literary world by storm with his gritty novels supposedly based on his own life as the son of a truck stop prostitute. LeRoy shrouded himself in mystery, and when he finally emerged from hiding, he always wore big glasses and hats, always surrounded by his gregarious British manager, Speedie. LeRoy found himself moving in circles with celebrities like Bono, Billy Corgan, and Debbie Harry. His novels were being adapted into movies and he was posing for fashion magazines. It all came crashing down, when New York Magazine reporter, Stephen Beachy, wrote an article in 2005, revealing that JT LeRoy didn't exist, that he was a fabrication of writer Laura Albert, and that Albert's sister-in-law, Savannah Knoop was masquerading as LeRoy.

LIKE- Prior to seeing a preview for Author: The JT LeRoy Story, I had not heard of JT LeRoy or Laura Albert. I'm an avid reader, but this had not crossed my path. The entire situation is just completely crazy and fascinating. I'm boggled that Albert was able to keep this charade going for nearly nine years, including brokering movie deals and attending high profile events. 

I'm left wondering how I feel about Albert. On one hand, she's ballsy and a bit of a genius for pulling this off. I don't think if she had written the LeRoy books as herself, that they would have gotten the same amount of attention. I've not read them and I'm not making this statement based on her talent, just that it seemed that the hype surrounding her books grew primarily based on the mystery of LeRoy and his tragic upbringing. She clearly states that the books are works of fiction, but never stops people from believing that LeRoy is a real person. Does this make it okay? I say this, because on the flip side, I feel she is decietful and dishonest. She gives LeRoy AIDS. That just seems to cross the line in a major way. She positions LeRoy as an experienced expert on the topics of which he writes, which implies a blurred line, even though the stories are fiction. People bought into the person that is LeRoy, as much they did his books and Albert never stopped it. 

I can understand the appeal of writing under a pseudonym. There is a tradition of female authors either writing under male names or using initials to skirt bias. However, there is a difference here, with Albert not only writing under a pseudonym, but bringing her created character to life and even creating an additional character in Speedie, and then, having these characters create friendships and business partnerships with unsuspecting people. Clearly, this crosses a line and although it may have brought recognition to her writing, it now mars her reputation. 

The funny thing is, Albert herself is a complete character. She's all over the map in the documentary interviews and in videos from when she is pretending to be Speedie. She defines herself as a misfit, someone who in her teen years desperately wanted to be a part of the punk scene, but was too shy, so she lived vicariously through her sister, who she would dress up and send out to clubs with clear instructions on who to interact with and what to do. It's a manipulation, with Albert playing puppet master. Albert was molested as a child and lived in a series of group homes as a teen, experiences she uses to build the character of LeRoy. Albert is the very definition of an unreliable narrator, and even as she spoke of her childhood, it was difficult to know what was real or what was part of this persona that she is always crafting. It's fascinating and totally bizarre. 

In the end, the story was less about JT LeRoy and more about figuring out this character of Laura Albert. Who is Laura Albert? 

DISLIKE- Nothing, I was captivated.

RECOMMEND- Yes. Author: The JT LeRoy Story is just so crazy that you need to see it. 

Book Review - Steve Hely's The Wonder Trail

Thank You to Penguin Group Dutton for providing me with an advanced copy of Steve Hely's The Wonder Trail, in exchange for an honest review. Additionally, I'd like to thank them for their understanding when life complications delayed my review past the publication date.

PLOT - Television writer Steve Hely (The Office, American Dad) uses his sitcom hiatus to explore South America, traveling from Los Angeles to Patagonia.

LIKE- I've never traveled to South America and it was a pleasure to follow Hely on his travels. I came away with a greater understanding of the continent, its countries, and cultures. Being a comedy writer, Hely infuses his travel writing with plenty of humor, much of which is derived from his observations and fish-out-of-water experiences. 

Different from other travel writing that I've read, was the level of research that Hely has done. He embarks on his trip as someone who is well-read with regard to the History of the countries that he is planning on visiting. He has a clear enthusiasm for learning and sharing what he has learned, including ending his book with not just a citation of his sources, but specific recommendations and info on his sources. He wants you to be as excited about South America as he is; his enthusiasm is contagious and I've already loaded up my Amazon Wishlist with his recommendations. Hely manages to strike a good balance between his own experiences and the historical narrative. 

DISLIKE- Occasionally, I found the historical references to be dry, slowing down the pace of the book. However, this is a minor complaint, I was engaged for a majority of The Wonder Trail.

RECOMMEND- Yes. If you like travel journals, The Wonder Trail should be on your to-be read list. If you're planning a trip to South America, or just want to arm-chair travel, it's a fascinating look at the continent. You'll come away enriched.