The Boat

So, looking at other reviews for this book, it was clearly a love or hate book, and unfortunately I am far close to the hate end of the scale the an the love end!

This is a collection of seven short stories by a Vietnamese Australian author. The first story, and the last (titular) story are autobiographical in some shape or form, the others take place in a range of places - the USA, Iran, Colombia and Japan.

For me the stories didn't read well. They were awkward or clunky in their transitions (in time mostly), or remained unresolved (and for me, therefore pointless) or just didn't feel believable or legitimate. Perhaps it was a stretch to write in the ‘voice' of people of different nationalities, although in some cases the settings were fairly reasonably described.

Ultimately I had to skim the last three stories, as the previous ones had made it too unlikely that I would sustain a more careful read of this book.

2 stars.