So I was not at all prepared for this viciously funny look at family life in Hong Kong. The only book I've read by TImothy Mo was The Redundancy of Courage, about the war and conflict in East Timor. The story itself is descriptive and funny, and well worth a read.more
A recurrent theme is about how Wallace seeks to add value in his relations to his family, friends and community, and you are just drawn to cheer for this underdog that makes good. While in hiding he shows his resourcefulness and business head, and is recalled back to head the family. He is caught up in the intrigues within the family, and subsequently sent to lay low after being involved in obtaining government contracts corruptly. The story is about Wallace Nolasco, who is married into the Poon family as a compromise choice to further the Poon lineage.
I'd recommend this for a chinese audience, or an audience who had spent some time in China/ HK/ Macau/ Singapore who might better appreciate the chinese colloquialisms which are reproduced in full in this book. He is caught up in the intrigues within the family, and subsequently sent to lay low after being involved in obtaining g A reading for my ethics and authority class.
A reading for my ethics and authority class. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. Fortunately, like the legendary monkey king, he is quite a clever fellow.more The Poon Family is one such Hong Kong dynasty in Timothy Mo's satirical comedy, and when Wallace Nolasco marries into it, instead of finding himself rolling in wealth, prestige and power, he winds up at the bottom of their nasty little pecking order. Every city has landowners like these, people who are swimming in wealth and yet are absolute and contemptible misers, hording their wealth, equating their lives of deprivation, and the deprivations they force upon others, as emblems of virtue. The Poon Family is one s There is a family which owns dozens of rental buildings in the nearest urban centre to where I live, and even though they are millionaires, several hundred times over, they won't spend a nickel to keep out the rats and cockroaches. There is a family which owns dozens of rental buildings in the nearest urban centre to where I live, and even though they are millionaires, several hundred times over, they won't spend a nickel to keep out the rats and cockroaches.