This first novel explores the experience of 'outsider' from both traditional and very specific points of view. The protagonist, John, is the son of Korean immigrants. While his father, who came from Korea with an engineering degree, was unable to practice in the U.S., he nevertheless provided well for his family in material ways, but was grimly and emotionally unresponsive to his son. John has had all the material advantages, and chooses (or is chosen for) a career as a sort of industrial spy, playing a role in each placement as he plays the role of American in the greater society. After an oddly disastrous assignment, he is reassigned to infiltrate the staff of a Korean American politician in Queens, N.Y., and has to confront his shifting identity, and that of others.

Complicating this, John and his non-Korean wife have lost a son to a freak accident, and their marriage is in trouble.

I found this novel totally fascinating, for its perspective on being the outsider, on being able to suss out the insider game, and on the cost of playing your life instead of living it authentically. Highly recommended. ( )

The book is about a Korean-American man who works as a sort in undercover agent to infiltrate and report on business and political figures. It's his job to blend in, to talk softly, to worm out the secrets and the hidden crimes. He joins the campaign staff of a young Korean American politician, and learns about being part of America, and about being the outsider.

The book is long and detailed about our hero's growing up in America with a father with an engineering degrees back in Korea who ran a Bodega and sold vegetables here and who clawed his way into middle class prosperity. We hear a lot of the father's memories. First generation bears some scars.

There is a lot here about Fathers and Sons, and families and relationships and the writing is very good indeed; terse but at times deeply poetic. Beautifully drawn unforgettable characters.

Looking in from outside looking out from inside. Playing the role being what is expected of you. It ends as a lot of books end -- with shattered illusions and sadness and loss.

Beautiful book, at times meditative and slow and not a heck of a lot of plot. Go read it anyway. ( )

I registered this book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14015566

A fascinating story of a Korean-American trying to navigate in both worlds. We tend to think that people whose parents are from another country can easily become "Americans" in all ways when they are born and raised in this country. But the traditions of the other society are still a part of the man. Traditions involve more than rituals or even physical acts, but include ways of thinking and doing.

So it is with Henry Park's father, who starts a "savings club" of sorts. With fellow Koreans he raises large amounts of money: each contributes a set amount every month, and one person gets to take the total. Every month (or is it week?) a different person gets the pot. Thus are many people able to obtain a large amount of cash to start a business or send a child to college or whatever they need. Sort of like a credit card without the horrendous interest.

Henry, meanwhile, falls into an unusual job. A type of spying, where he is assigned a person to investigate. He learns everything he can about the person, using whatever means are necessary. In the bulk of this book he is investigating a Korean politician. To get close to him he volunteers for his campaign and rises up the ladder. To what purpose? The investigators might guess but are not told why. What if he's investigating this person so that others might destroy him? Because his background as a Korean-American gives him special access, is he betraying his culture? His family?

These questions, along with those related to his marriage to a white woman, make for interesting thoughts. A good story with thoughtful undertones. ( )

I have very complicated feelings about this. On the one hand, there were a lot of things about this that really interested me and that I really enjoyed. On the other hand, this was such a slog to get through and I never wanted to pick it back up whenever I put it down - hence it taking me three weeks to finish this. ( )

I didn't particularly like this novel.

I was required to read it for my Asian American Literature class. We had some every interesting class discussions, talking about the use of language and the fact that Hnery uses language almost as a barrier.

If you are interested in a (fake) autobiographical novel about a civilian spy, then you might like it. But it's not my kind of book. ( )