itibaren Paschim Satali, West Bengal 735214, India itibaren Paschim Satali, West Bengal 735214, India

** spoiler alert ** An earlier reviewer claimed that non science fiction readers will approach Yu differently. If we assume that this bifurcation is appropriate, I should be placed into the “you didn’t grow up reading Douglas Adams” category. Indeed, my only experience with time travel through artistic narrative/fiction was seeing Primer on a second date. The Linus Skywalker/pop culture allusions and clever quotations caused me to categorize the book prematurely and incorrectly. For example, Yu writes, “In order to qualify as a protagonist, a human must be able to demonstrate an attachment coefficient of at least .75. A coefficient of 1.00 or above is required in order to be a hero.”Funny and not too heavy, right? After reaching the 50 page mark, my overall enthusiasm for the book waned and I would have abandoned Yu if it wasn’t already listed on my GoodReads currently reading shelf. Yes, posting a book serves as a reminder/prompt/source of agony. Though, I will never ever finish Miranda July’s book. ;) I digress, though. Reading beyond the fiftieth page results in an unexpected exploration of immigrant culture, socio-economic issues, dysfunctional families, and metaphysical musings. While it’s not my favorite book, I found the rest of the novel a quick, enjoyable read.