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tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.25
‘Don’t be selfish, okay? Growing up is about taking responsibility and sometimes doing stuff you don’t like …’
So, there I was, drawn to the cover of a book featuring a bin chicken with a bubble tea. Cover art is not usually my thing, but how could I resist? Meet Sylvia Nguyen, the only child of Vietnamese refugee parents, trying to find her own place in the world. Parental expectations are high: they wanted Sylvia to study law and had arranged any amount of tutoring to achieve this. Living in Yagoona (western Sydney) is challenging for Sylvia when she attends her prestigious high school in the city. And it all becomes so much harder when Sylvia decides law is not for her.
Sylvia’s story unfolds in a series of short vignettes covering her life from childhood to early adulthood. And through these vignettes, the reader gains some understanding of the two worlds many refugees (and then their children) inhabit, and the overwhelming desire parents have for their children to achieve while the children themselves often want to fit into a part of the world they can identify as belonging to. And Sylvia, what does she want? Well, while Sylvia works out what she wants and her character develops, the reader experiences quite a bit of not-so-subtle racism as Sylvia describes the world around her. Did I find this uncomfortable? Not really. Although I suspect I am applying a double standard and being politically incorrect. Hmm. Can racism be relative?
‘Funny Ethnics was on at 7 but we got there at 7.15. The room was warm and damp with human breath. It smelled like Australia Day: beer, Chiko rolls and Lynx deodorant.’
I chuckled through some of the descriptions of people and place, of clothing and hairstyle choices. I vaguely remember being a teenager, but my background is excruciatingly monocultural.
Did I enjoy this novel? Yes, in parts. Looking at the world through different eyes is almost always worthwhile.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
ceedy's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Racial slurs
Minor: War, Violence, and Eating disorder
samstillreading's review
4.0
I might be shallow, but the cover of Funny Ethnics by Shirley Le is what grabbed me and made me take a look at the back blurb. A sacred ibis (aka bin chicken in Aussie slang) with a bubble tea? Totally Australian. This story represents multicultural Australia too, about the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who settled in Western Sydney, seen to be less desirable by the rich.
But Le’s Yagoona is more than just home to Australia’s first McDonald’s, it’s home to a mix of cultures. Sylvia and her parents are part of the Vietnamese community, where there is a determination by the parents to ensure the children grow up to succeed. That means law or medicine at university, excellent English and an exit out of the West. The story starts with Sylvia telling her parents she wants to quit law and concentrate on a creative writing degree. Her parents aren’t at all happy, wondering how they have failed (and how they will brag to their friends now!) The story then moves into retrospective events starting in Sylvia’s childhood, such as English tutoring, getting into a selective school and then being an outcast in that school for not being the smartest, prettiest or the richest. Time at university is covered, as are friendships, work and trying (or not) to please her parents somehow.
Sylvia is a hard character to read at times. It’s difficult to know what she wants – to please her parents, to go her own way or follow others? It was also hard to understand her motives at times, such as why she decided to help a stranger find ‘shrooms. I think the gaps in the narrative in her past contributed to being able to ‘read’ her character well. Once I thought of the novel as interlinked experiences from Shirley’s past and into the present, it was a bit easier to follow. What really shines though is the way Le writes of Western Sydney with love, showing that there is a community that cares (despite what the media would have you think). The closeness of the Vietnamese community is described multiple times from the gossip over children, fundraising and helping each other out. (There is also a lot of delicious food described). I liked how Le reflected on Australia through an immigrant lens with no holds barred. The wit was savage and I recognised a few similar experiences. Sylvia’s experiences could be very funny at times and the barbs at the casual racism some characters sprout was exceptionally clever.
Funny Ethnics was in fact, really funny. Both points for including Habib from Pizza (the classic ethnic show).
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
But Le’s Yagoona is more than just home to Australia’s first McDonald’s, it’s home to a mix of cultures. Sylvia and her parents are part of the Vietnamese community, where there is a determination by the parents to ensure the children grow up to succeed. That means law or medicine at university, excellent English and an exit out of the West. The story starts with Sylvia telling her parents she wants to quit law and concentrate on a creative writing degree. Her parents aren’t at all happy, wondering how they have failed (and how they will brag to their friends now!) The story then moves into retrospective events starting in Sylvia’s childhood, such as English tutoring, getting into a selective school and then being an outcast in that school for not being the smartest, prettiest or the richest. Time at university is covered, as are friendships, work and trying (or not) to please her parents somehow.
Sylvia is a hard character to read at times. It’s difficult to know what she wants – to please her parents, to go her own way or follow others? It was also hard to understand her motives at times, such as why she decided to help a stranger find ‘shrooms. I think the gaps in the narrative in her past contributed to being able to ‘read’ her character well. Once I thought of the novel as interlinked experiences from Shirley’s past and into the present, it was a bit easier to follow. What really shines though is the way Le writes of Western Sydney with love, showing that there is a community that cares (despite what the media would have you think). The closeness of the Vietnamese community is described multiple times from the gossip over children, fundraising and helping each other out. (There is also a lot of delicious food described). I liked how Le reflected on Australia through an immigrant lens with no holds barred. The wit was savage and I recognised a few similar experiences. Sylvia’s experiences could be very funny at times and the barbs at the casual racism some characters sprout was exceptionally clever.
Funny Ethnics was in fact, really funny. Both points for including Habib from Pizza (the classic ethnic show).
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
trickyn's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The story didn't really go anywhere.
I enjoyed reading about the different Sydney suburbs and could relate to the story but there wasn't much else in the story. I think a lot of younger people, regardless of race, could identify with Sylvia's situation. Sylvia's father was my favourite character.
I enjoyed reading about the different Sydney suburbs and could relate to the story but there wasn't much else in the story. I think a lot of younger people, regardless of race, could identify with Sylvia's situation. Sylvia's father was my favourite character.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
mayalouise's review
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
apotofhoney's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sheadawson's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
theafictionado's review against another edition
4.0
This was very funny, full of great descriptions and imagery, and yanking me down memory lane into some truly rancid moments from early '00s Australian pop culture. Since a lot of the humour and storytelling is observation, Sylvia often feels like a bit of a reactive protagonist rather than an active one, and it didn't quite feel like all the vignettes tied together, but this was some really fun satirical writing.