Author emigrates from Russia with mother and father to New York City in 1979 at age 7. They are part of Jimmy Carter's project to bring Jews out of the Soviet Union. Shteyngart effectively shows how hard it was to fit in in 1980s-90s US. Warring parents don't help a massive insecurity complex. It only gets worse when girls become a source of interest. The author takes twenty years to figure out who he is in this new society. The biggest drawback to his writing is the joking. Constant cleverness grates. For the first 3/4s of the book every other line is either arch, ironic or self-deprecating. Suddenly at the age of majority he drops this style. Early on one of Gary's teachers chastises his larking about with 'not everything is funny'. She's right. Only as as adult does he learn this. I love Shteyngart, and I loved this memoir. There was a lot that was familiar about this tale of a Russian immigrant family, and yet it was a very different story from my own family, who came over several decades prior to his. Shteyngart is extremely frank and decidedly hilarious in his retelling of his childhood growing up in the US and Russia, his difficult yet fundamentally loving relationship with his parents, and his equally fraught love affair with adopting America. Its a great read, especially if you've read any of his other books.
One of the best memoirs I've ever read. Do yourself a favor. You'll thank me.
—Anina
Fascinating, funny, sad....everything I want from a memoir.
—Sammie
Funny but a bit self-obsessed.
—BrownSuga
A little repetative
—tantan
I stopped reading.
—karinitaaa
