Typical American

The following is a discussion post I wrote for my Women and Gender Studies intro course regarding this book, which we were asked to read for our “big assignment”:

I would like to take this opportunity to air some of my grievances about Typical American. I mean this as an opinionated response, and I don't mean to offend anybody who enjoys this book at all.

I had been looking forward to starting to read this book, because I tend to enjoy books about immigrants and foreigners who experience American culture for the first time. I initially thought it was an odd choice for a women and gender studies course, but as we began discussing intersectionality as it relates to feminism, I started to get excited to read it and examine the feminist and cultural underpinnings in the story. I especially like to hear Asian people's experiences in America, since I used to tutor Chinese and Korean people of varying ages in English speaking, reading, and writing.

However, I'll admit I am about halfway through the book and I am not enjoying it at all. The primary reason is the prose, or the way the story is told. Typical American is described on Goodreads as “a superbly engrossing story that resonates with wit and wisdom” but I don't see that at all. The prose is more often confusing, rushed, and not engaging than wise or witty. It's like the author spends too much time developing scenes that are neither important nor interesting and does not take care to develop ones that illustrate what the characters want or where the plot is going.

I also dislike the characters simply because they are not well-written or interesting or lifelike. It is difficult for me to care about them as people or about what happens to them in the story. I don't mind that at times they behave unethically and selfishly; many excellent books portray flawed characters. The difference is, however, that we become interested in these characters, either because of or despite these flaws. That is where the prose needs to come in to paint a picture of interesting, lifelike characters. For example, Rubeus Hagrid from Harry Potter is one of my all-time favorite characters. He is incredibly flawed; he is irresponsible and reckless, but the way he is written, as well as the times when he redeems himself, makes him enjoyable to read about.

This is not to say that the book does not have its instances where feminism, culture, and other ideas can be identified and examined. I'm just not enjoying the journey to get to those instances.