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Stella's Reviews > Absolution
Absolution
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Clearly, I'm going to be in the minority here, but I just don't get the praise for this. If anything, this is very "White People Taco Night" or "Chicken Broccoli" if that makes any sense?
Yes, yes, the writing is beautiful, and it's a reflection on a specific time in history and a slice of life for these over-privileged, white women who were married to military officers who were stationed in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) during a very specific time. There's a very veiled discussion of race and guilt, but honestly, it's just so convoluted and mixed and jumbled within the 300+ pages that it's really beside the point. Tricia's part and her past timeline, as well as her timeline in Vietnam, is strange. Her guilt over not having children is interesting because it's what is so expected of women of her time.
Tricia's tales of Charlene's 'good works' show some good intentions but again, it's the white savior complex that so often comes with books and films. The continual misnaming of Ly as Lily in the book was infuriating. Ly clearly said that it was her name and yet Tricia said that she just couldn't adjust.
The leper village, the officer's club, the Barbies....
I feel that there is so much more going on during this time in Saigon that could be explored, way more than what these women were doing. Their shopping and lunching were so meaningless. The lives of the women working for these women were more interesting to me. I wanted to know more about them, where did they go at night? Where were their families? What happened to them when the white people left? That is interesting to me, not what sort of house someone moved into afterward.
This is what I mean by "White People Taco Night". This is the oatmeal version of a war story so that it's palatable for white women to read and sleep at night. I don't need a continuation of the white savior that no one asked for.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Yes, yes, the writing is beautiful, and it's a reflection on a specific time in history and a slice of life for these over-privileged, white women who were married to military officers who were stationed in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) during a very specific time. There's a very veiled discussion of race and guilt, but honestly, it's just so convoluted and mixed and jumbled within the 300+ pages that it's really beside the point. Tricia's part and her past timeline, as well as her timeline in Vietnam, is strange. Her guilt over not having children is interesting because it's what is so expected of women of her time.
Tricia's tales of Charlene's 'good works' show some good intentions but again, it's the white savior complex that so often comes with books and films. The continual misnaming of Ly as Lily in the book was infuriating. Ly clearly said that it was her name and yet Tricia said that she just couldn't adjust.
The leper village, the officer's club, the Barbies....
I feel that there is so much more going on during this time in Saigon that could be explored, way more than what these women were doing. Their shopping and lunching were so meaningless. The lives of the women working for these women were more interesting to me. I wanted to know more about them, where did they go at night? Where were their families? What happened to them when the white people left? That is interesting to me, not what sort of house someone moved into afterward.
This is what I mean by "White People Taco Night". This is the oatmeal version of a war story so that it's palatable for white women to read and sleep at night. I don't need a continuation of the white savior that no one asked for.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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Reading Progress
October 7, 2023
–
Started Reading
October 7, 2023
– Shelved
October 11, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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message 1:
by
Kristin
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rated it 2 stars
Oct 29, 2023 08:05PM
OMG THANK YOU how are all these people raving about this book? It makes me worried about the state of the world that people can praise this book without seeing that it continues to silence some (important) perspectives to center the privileged white women in Vietnam
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Kristin wrote: "OMG THANK YOU how are all these people raving about this book? It makes me worried about the state of the world that people can praise this book without seeing that it continues to silence some (im..."I always feel a little conflicted when reading books like this because I do have a bit of a personal connection because my mom is Viet, so my perspective IS skewed, but.....come on.... It's rather shallow to only look at very important times in history from a .... very narrow perspective, you know?!
have not read it yet. But I started it. Turned off myself by the lunching, privileged prime two women characters. BUT! I'm 75 and lived with losing very close in VietNam. Do you not think that others may have a different view of the whole than you took? Your opinion is justified, I'd guess. But you sure do not know what you think you know. This is the story from eyes of that period. It makes me worried about the state of the world when the judgments of others are SO entirely through race or class or their own prejudices too. Truly. Think about that please.Thanks for allowing commentary. It's more than some here who are too fragile for actual intersect.
I kind of think that was the point of the book. It was to show the "lunching ladies" and what was expected of a 1960s wife against the backdrop of what was going on in Saigon at that time. We are looking at it through the eyes of 2023 and it just seems so outrageous to us. I don't think the author is saying that the behavior was right or glorifying it in any way. Just an idea of how it was.
Jeanette wrote: "have not read it yet. But I started it. Turned off myself by the lunching, privileged prime two women characters. BUT! I'm 75 and lived with losing very close in VietNam. Do you not think that othe..."Agree that the story is via the eyes of that period but it is through the very privileged eyes of the main characters. I would be interested to know how you feel once you have finished the book. Thanks so much for the comments.
Seriously folks! So nit picky. Most of the book takes place in 1963. I’m 77 so I remember that time period. I felt the book was realistic for that time in history. I didn’t see the women as “white privilege” gooders. What is wrong with helping those less fortunate? You didn’t care for the book. I get that, but please don’t make it into some political statement.
When the book flips to present day Tricia, she does refer to white savior practices. This notion is strongly explored through Charlene’s character. I found that the author chose to stick with historical accuracy. She wrote these characters as they would have behaved in the time period that this is set in. Present day Tricia reflects on the painful acts of racism, and the culturally acceptable othering of the Vietnamese people (not just due to race but, also, largely due to poverty). The truth of the matter is, this is historical fiction told from the perspective of a white woman. Imagine the backlash McDermott would have received if she had written it from the perspective of a woman who was not white. This is historical fiction folks! If it makes you feel ill, then perhaps try a book that is a door and not a mirror.
Glad I am not the only one that didn’t care for it. I didn’t like it for different reasons. Frankly, I got bored. I, too, did not like the going back and forth in Tricia’s life. It just wasn’t my cup of tea I guess.
I found this book very hard to read. I couldn’t even finish it, I skipped to last chapter to see how it ended. Was Charlene still alive when Tricia was talking to her daughter? I was confused with the timeline, it jumped around from Brooklyn to the Vietnam years and then she’s talking to Charlene’s daughter in the present. . Sorry, I’ve read other books by this author that I liked much more.
Kris wrote: "Glad I am not the only one that didn’t care for it. I didn’t like it for different reasons. Frankly, I got bored. I, too, did not like the going back and forth in Tricia’s life. It just wasn’t my c..."THANK YOU! That's part of it, it's boring!!! That's the whole thing - it's boring!
I have to agree - so many good reviews, yet I could only get half way through then dropped it, which I rarely do with books. It’s really quite boring.
I’m in the minority also. This story was mixed and jumbled as you said. And had no real point to it. I don’t understand why it’s gotten such good reviews.
I don't know how anyone can get through the first chapter. Love your thoughts on this book
Sue❊ wrote: "I don't know how anyone can get through the first chapter. Love your thoughts on this book"Thanks Sue! I think the more people that try to read this the more that will agree.
I had to stop. Couldn't figure out a point that made any sense. Made it through the Trisha saga, then just abandoned.
I feel like this book was focusing on these upper class women and the bubble they lived in more than 10 years before the fall of Saigon. The constrictions of their thought processes based on how they were raised. Their naïveté in what was happening around them and what they thought was meaningful in their lives. The culture of racism that is part of that generation.
Their acts of charity that were silly and superficial illustrates what I think a whole generation of upper class queen B ladies and their followers were like.
I thought it was interesting to see that perspective.
I’ve seen many movies depicting the Vietnam war from the perspective of soldiers, the Vietnamese , and the aftermath. The Deer Hunter I think is one of the best.
This book wasn’t about that part of what happened.
To me that’s a different book.
As much as I wanted to like this book, I could not. It just rambled on about nothing and too much about Barbie’s outfits!
Lucy wrote: "As much as I wanted to like this book, I could not. It just rambled on about nothing and too much about Barbie’s outfits!"YES - the Barbie outfits.
Agreed. I also it both offensive and dull.
Well that was a pointless waste of time. So much promise, so much hype, nothing delivered
I felt like we didn’t get to the “meat” of the story until after 200 pages & then their time in Saigon was done & she switched to the daughter’s narrative. Quite disappointing and I felt it was a waste of my time as well.
You make an excellent point: the book would have been so much better if it had included something about the lives of the women who are just background in this story.
Exactly my thoughts on this book. Great point on wanting to know more about the women who worked for them. That would’ve made for a more interesting story.
