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Title details for East Goes West by Younghill Kang - Available

East Goes West

by Younghill Kang
Alexander Chee
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
“A wonderfully resplendent evocation of a newcomer’s America” (Chang-rae Lee, author of Native Speaker) by the father of Korean American literature
A Penguin Classic
Having fled Japanese-occupied Korea for the gleaming promise of the United States with nothing but four dollars and a suitcase full of Shakespeare to his name, the young, idealistic Chungpa Han arrives in a New York teeming with expatriates, businessmen, students, scholars, and indigents. Struggling to support his studies, he travels throughout the United States and Canada, becoming by turns a traveling salesman, a domestic worker, and a farmer, and observing along the way the idealism, greed, and shifting values of the industrializing twentieth century. Part picaresque adventure, part shrewd social commentary, East Goes West casts a sharply satirical eye on the demands and perils of assimilation. It is a masterpiece not only of Asian American literature but also of American literature.
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with these three Penguin Classics:
 
America Is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan (9780143134039)
East Goes West by Younghill Kang (9780143134305)
The Hanging on Union Square by H. T. Tsiang (9780143134022)

  • Creators

  • Series

    Penguin Vitae

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 2, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593393437
      • File size: 473686 KB
      • Duration: 16:26:50

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 930
    • Text Difficulty: 4-6

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Song Yee lends his voice to the narration of Younghill Kang's groundbreaking autobiographical novel, first published in 1937. Kang's story traces the journey of 18-year-old Chungpa Han, who has fled Japanese-occupied Korea. Han eagerly embraces the promise of America. Yee's narration reflects Han's earnest na�vet�, allowing his admiration of the bounties of the West to shine through. At the same time, Yee skillfully captures Han's growing discomfort as he experiences the darker side of American materialism and racism. His frustration as he exclaims that he does not want to be a "nicey-nice Oriental" resonates with hurt and sorrow and is an especially poignant reminder of the continued relevance of this important work. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:930
  • Text Difficulty:4-6

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