Native Speaker
by Chang-rae Lee
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Book Summary Information
Author: Chang-rae LeeEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1996-03-01
ISBN: 1573225312
Number of pages: 349
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781573225311
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Book Reviews of Native Speaker
Book Review: This Korean is NOT a detective nor is he Korean.
Summary: 4 Stars
Henry Park is not a detective. He is a spy. He is not Korean. He is born in America to Korean parents,but speaks Korean until he enters kindergarten, a scenario familiar to so many hyphenated Americans. He hires on as a spy for Glimmer and Associates, a consulting firm. His job is to infiltrate the deepest deeds and thoughts of Asian-Americans assigned to him in order to bring them down or to penetrate their foreign connections. He flubs his first assignment because under the kindness of his target person, he instead reveals himself rather than burrowing to the good man's core and exposing his Marcos connections. Henry is married to a white New England woman, Lelia. They are suffering from the death of their seven year old child, Mitt. Henry's remoteness has made him unable to express his mourning, and so antagonizes his wife. Little by little and pain by pain they reconcile. Henry's next assignment is to find out about John Kwang, a politician and would-be New York mayoral candidate. He has transference to Kwang as a father figure, as do so many minority constituents. But under Henry's sharp observation, excellent memory and alienation, Kwang's weaknesses are revealed. These are the same qualities in Kwang that are his own downfall. His assignment finished, Henry works with Lelia, a speech therapist, to help other non-native speakers.
This book is quite timely. Henry symbolizes the alienation of children born of immigrant parents, their feeling that they never belong either to their parents' people or to the American-born citizens, but are suspended inbetween.
The language is often poetic, sometimes terse, vacillating between Henry the Spy and Henry the American with heart, the Korean with heart.
I begrudged the 5th star because the events are sometimes obscure. It was a beautiful read. I'm surprised this is the 1st review.
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