Gave up halfway. Actually I gave up a little while before that, at the 'airport scene', with a cliche Hollywood sleazebag surfacing solely to drive the plot -- what was that, a Jackie Collins homage? That was a huge red flag right there.In fact, apart from an early high point which saw Buster (the brother) trying to find happiness with jobless soldiers shooting potato guns, the book was sending up red flags all over the place:- narcissistic parents whose behavior is so unrealistic as to border on the insane- an actress's boobs appearing on the internet is career-damaging?! In this day and age? Is this what the internet was like in the forties?- Annie (the sister) has sex with a random journalist she dislikes, having just met him. This is as contrived as it sounds. Jackie Collins approves.- The parents embark on another 'art' project, literally having just picked up their distraught daughter from the airport. Which said adult daughter accepts, after token resistance. Uh-huh. Plot, your seams are showing again.Frankly, it's depressing how obviously this book wants to become a mediocre movie. I bet somebody'll grant that wish, sooner or later. If this book had one flaw, it was that the story was utterly predictable. Anybody that has read a novel about a dysfunctional family can tell the fate of Annie and Buster Fang when they return home after screwing up their own lives. Character wise, the development and characters themselves were meh. Annie was good and entertaining. I actually found the chapters in her point of view my favorite just because her voice was so strong and she was so original. Buster, on the other hand, is the predictable one. He is so fricken sad. Towards the end though, I think that he did get better. Story wise, aside from the predictability, it's a good "feel good" novel. I thought that the writing was funny, but everything needs to be developed more. If anything, towards the end, the story got really really sad (which was the most unpredictable part.) Overall, the story is a more screwed up version of Jonathan Tropper's THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU with less death, less drama, but more "heart".
What do You think about Fang Ailesi (2012)?
If you love the random and intelligent humor of a Wes Anderson movie, you will love this book!
—stewardjj
I'm not really sure what to think of this book. It was very odd. Nothing like I usually read.
—phina
Loved everything about this book - definitely want to read more by the author.
—Dave
