Chiu, Christina - Troublemaker and Other Saints

[oyceter]

I randomly stumbled across this in the library while I was looking for more Pearl Cleage. I figure I should try and read more non-white, non-American focused books, so here we go!

This is a collection of interconnected short stories focusing on the lives, loves and tribulations (there are lots of tribulations) of members of around three families and their friends, all of whom are Chinese or Chinese-American. Most of the characters have connections with Hong Kong, and the short stories take place shortly before and after the 1997 Hong Kong handover.

I have historically had some issues with Amy Tan, which pretty much is all the Chinese-American literature I've read. I've read quite a bit of classical Chinese literature, often under great duress in preparation for a test or memorization, but I haven't read much contemporary Chinese literature at all.

I think much of this is because I was operating under the assumption that contemporary Chinese-American literature needed to somehow echo my own experiences or speak to them, but I think that's placing an unfair burden on the authors. The only reason I look to them for representation and for a voice is because there is still relatively little Chinese-American (or Chinese-other-nationality or third-culture-kid) literature out there, and so, there isn't that much in general fiction in America that speaks specifically to me.

I append this by saying that I do not think that people of other sexes, genders, races, ethnicities, ages, nationalities, etc. cannot identify with people unlike them. I frequently find myself identifying with white males. My issue is that there should be more options, not less, and for underrepresented people of any sort (be it sex-based, race-based, age-based, etc.), representation is emotionally important.

Anyway, back to the book. I'm not saying that the book isn't representative of the Chinese-American experience, because that is unfair to the book, and the only reason I ask it of the book is because I have so little exposure to a) the Chinese-American experience (am third-culture kid, so I sort of have a half-Chinese-American experience, if that makes any sort of sense) and b) Chinese-American or half-Chinese-American literature.

That said, I kept hoping to find myself represented somehow, but I kept being put off for the same reasons I kept being put off Amy Tan's books in the past. I knew that it wasn't fair to ask the book to represent me, but I kept looking for representation all the same, and that's how I was disappointed. Chiu is writing about people with problems, people that I sort of know, but people who aren't necessarily me.

Much of this is because the book is so firmly grounded in its characters, which is a good thing. It's just that the characters are connected to New York and Hong Kong, and I am not (Taiwan and California for me!).

To put all my personal issues to the side, I really admired the craft of the stories, particularly in how they intertwined. One character mentioned briefly in one story would show up as a supporting character in another and end up as the POV character in yet another. I also loved being able to see all the family dynamics from different POVs; Chiu balanced out everything by giving everyone a starring role and a supporting one, all at the same time.

I think this book would particularly reward re-reading; alas, I had to return it to the library before I could reread.

That said, it was a little too depressing for me. Chiu's characters deal with alienation, anorexia, problems with their sexuality, interpersonal relationship problems, and etc. Also, I wanted to slap some of the characters (particularly Jonathan). On the other hand, I can't tell if I feel this way because I don't want this to be seen as representative of the Chinese-American experience, because I am scared that people will read it and come away thinking that Chinese reserve hides all sorts of dysfunctions.

In the end, I can't manage to separate my personal thoughts on race and representation from the book itself, which is again unfair to the book and to the author. Ergo, (and this is my conclusion to pretty much everything) must read more! Also, wish there was more published like this.

Comments

[toastykitten.livejournal.com]

I quit reading Amy Tan not because I couldn't relate to her, but because she kept writing the same boring book over and over again.

I don't know if you've read the following books before, but they're some of my favorites from the Asian-Am genre: Maxine Hong Kingston's Woman Warrior, Fae Myenne Ng's Bone, Frank Chin's Donald Duk. I don't know how much you'll be able to relate to them, but they're all centered around growing up second-generation in California, and are all very thoughtful and well written (Ng took 10 years to write her book).

[oyceter]

Thanks for the recs! I actually haven't read any of them, so they should be interesting, albeit different from my own experience (I moved to Taiwan when I was eight and lived there for some time).

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, I can't tell if I feel this way because I don't want this to be seen as representative of the Chinese-American experience, because I am scared that people will read it and come away thinking that Chinese reserve hides all sorts of dysfunctions.

this makes me laugh, actually. i already think that reserve (in general) frequently (but not always) hides all sorts of dysfunctions. but, uh, i think that based on scandinavians and scandinavian-americans and minnesotans. (have you seen the movie fargo, by the coen brothers? i know those people. ;) so kind of i want to laugh and kind of i want to shove my hands in my pockets and talk about the weather. ;)

i had not read enough of your archives to realize you were a third culture kid! some of the other people on my flist are, too. wiredferret, who i am hoping will be at wiscon again next year, and birdfigment, who does not go to wiscon so therefore i have no idea when or if i might introduce the two of you, um, not that i managed to meet you myself in person this past year at wiscon, so it might be tricky anyhow.

i will check out the chiu, though. thank you for the almost recommendation!

[oyceter]

I am indeed a third culture kid! It's always neat to find more of them, since it's not quite being a hyphenated American/other nationality and has its own set of issues.

I do rec the Chiu; I just felt bad because I was obviously being grumpy-ish with it for reasons that were no fault of its.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read Maxine Hong Kingston? There is some angst, but I liked her when Amy Tan totally wasn't my thing.

THE WOMAN WARRIOR is the most accessible Kingston, I think; can try and dig up my copy if you want to borrow it. A friend of mine did her college thesis on TRIPMASTER MONKEY, but I still haven't read it (I've been meaning to read it for 15 years!).

[oyceter]

I, er, embarrassingly have read no Maxine Hong Kingston, but I mean to, some time! Thanks for the rec!

I've also read Kitchen, which I adore and which makes me crave katsudon every single time I reread.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Also, have you tried Banana Yoshimoto? I only read the first one, KITCHEN, but I remember liking it a lot, despite the sad ending.