This ended up being a dnf for me at about 34% i just couldn't connect with the story, but the parts I did read weren't bad just not for me.

A unique retelling of Lolita based around a white man fetishizes Asian women. It's hard to come up with a unique review for such a unique story. I'm disappointed this wasn't able to be published during the authors lifetime for her to see the joy it brings people, but am glad it was able to be published eventually.

I loved the prose in this unique story and it kept me captivated. It was moving and thought provoking.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Kyoko finally puts her plot for revenge into action after years of plotting, absolutely nothing goes right. By the time she finally gets her hands on Daniel, the man she blames for her mother’s suicide, she has no idea what to do with him. Part of her is reveling in the moment, knowing she is on the verge of achieving what has been her life’s goal for so long… part of her is completely unsure about exactly how she plans to go about enacting her revenge. She wants him to suffer, to die. But how? After all, nothing has gone right in her plan so far. With no where else to turn, Kyoko enlists the help of her boyfriend and fellow bandmate to lock Daniel in the basement. As she decides what to do next, everyone involved - immediately or distantly - comes to their own reckoning involving issues of race, feminist ideals, and immortality.

On the surface, the premise sounded alluring. I was so eager to read this book. Initially, the narration of story grabbed me in a way that made me think it would deliver; however, as the book splintered into its multiple POVs, the grip it had on my quickly loosened. One reason for this is, for me, the story and plot took a backseat to the depth of character study that takes place. The novel follows the viewpoints of several characters - none of which are in any way underdeveloped. Even background characters have a dynamism to them that gives the reader a feeling of being a purveying god over a different reality. I pictured the setting as a neon, cyberpunk style background, scored by stringed instruments playing haunting, classical pieces.

But the characters. For there to be so many, and all with so much depth and development, and exploration into their hearts and minds… at a certain point, the story lost its pace and reading felt more laborious than entertaining. There was so much to follow and learn and explore with each character. It was hard to read inn one sitting, yet hard to really absorb properly if read in bits and spurts.

Be prepared for a novel that requires you to process a lot of difficult topics, as well. Katherine Min is a phenomenal author in this regard. She handles the hard topics with incredible tact, skill, and even beauty. That being said, check the trigger warnings (e.g., mentions of suicide) and make sure you are in the right headspace before tackling this novel. Personally, I’m not sure if I’ll attempt a reread, just because I think I ruined my experience reading it the first time by not being prepared for the depth. Go in prepared, and you’re more than likely in for an incredibly insightful and creative time.

The things that would have made this book better for me are definitely reflective of my own preferences rather than an shortcomings on the author’s part. For example, I would have loved to have seen more detail and story devoted to Kyoko’s murder plan and final attempt to go through with Daniel’s murder. For me, it felt like the scene went by almost insignificantly, as internal/emotional reactions were emphasized over the pacing and movement of the plot. In the end, I was ultimately expecting something akin to Mona Awad, but this was very different. If my expectations were more level with the reality of the content/genre, I no doubt would have liked The Fethishist so much more. But it fell flat for me and I don’t know if I could redeem it with a reread at this point. My advice, go into this with open eyes and you are more than likely in for an excellent experience.

I really wanted to like this posthumous work by Katherine Min, but I didn’t love it. It was hard reading about the fetishization of Asian women (probably all the more reason why I should have read it), but the vengeance was an interesting premise. I really did want to know the resolution, though it took me awhile to read. Well-written but not really for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Mild racial fetishization commentary, but the book really shoots itself in the foot when its whole schtick is dude makes his own bed and feels like the victim when he has to lie in it and yet all the ladies still forgive him.

Pre-reading:
Zero clue what this book is about, but I love provocative material.

Thick of it:
So I have not read Lolita, but I love female rage.

“Buttered wedge of sunlight” is fabulous.

Lit fic loves eggs.

The prose reminds me of Vladimir and Sirens & Muses.

semaphores

netsuke

Maybe don't enable murder?

I think it's interesting that all these women’s sexualities are told to you by the men around them, and they don't get to speak on it for themselves.

Lit fic loves piss sin.

Messianic

Paucity

Note to self: google pink film. (Huh. The more you know.)

Guayabera

The conflation of sex and death is solely Japanese? I raise you the petite mort- very French.

Ice cream for sex? Brynne Weaver has entered the chat.

Moraine

Dyspeptic

Sacristy

I hate gender in language.

Don’t make me team man. Don’t do that to me. But I agree, respect is earned not given.

Fatuous

It always comes back to being wanted is the most seductive feeling of all.

I don’t think posterity is intrinsically male.

I don’t think I like this book. I think it’s too preoccupied with taboo sex. People are more than that.

I’m bored and would dnf.

I’ve never understood the fascination with aphrodisiacs. Like are yall not just always horny?

Oh, she’s a snarky annotator like me lol.

Cello Kitty is better.

You know Emi’s not a girls’ girl, so like fuck her. I mean fuck Daniel always, but like we expect men to be shit. We don’t need other women to be mean to us too.

Nah, fuck him. He’s a cheater.

You should have an opinion.

I. Don’t. Have. Time. For. Insecure. Men.

2 stars. I get what it’s doing. I just don’t like it or agree with the messaging.

This last chapter is more successful than the entire rest of the book. But this is the one reworked over and over apparently.

lissome

priapic

Low-key I think the daughter is a better writer. This section has much better voice.

Post-reading:
First things first, I’m the realest. Second things first, I have not read Lolita. So grain of salt with my review. This book could be matching the prose, and the story beats hit for hit. I would not know.

The book had a lot of singing in it that didn’t add to the book for me, and the audiobook narrator just sort of screamed those lines. It was not enjoyable to listen to.

I think the most successful thing this book does is pose the idea that where you place the end in a story dictates its mood. I think that’s so fun. I would love to read a book with the ends scattered throughout. This book only has one the end, but it does definitely sour the book if you keep reading after it. I love sour.

I thought that was the most successful chapter of the entire book. It was sleazy, it was taboo, it was a little angry. That chapter worked for me.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book, especially in comparison, was pretty blah. The characters were unlikable, which was probably the intent, but the way the character arcs went, it also felt like we were supposed to begrudgingly love them by the end. I still think they’re assholes. I still think they shouldn’t be in a relationship.

If your mom had an affair and killed herself, that is her problem. That is her fault for not going to therapy. Let’s be clear, he’s a shitty person too for having an affair, but he’s not responsible for your mother‘s death.

This book is pitched as female rage, and it just feels absent. It gives all of its characters redemption arcs. They don’t deserve them. They don’t need them. I don’t think I went into this book with the wrong expectations. The blurb and the forward all set you up to support women’s wrongs. But that’s not this book. It’s not angry. It’s not unhinged. It’s just sort of resigned and miserable.

And then, as far as fetishization commentary goes, I don’t think it had any really great insights. Maybe it’s accessible commentary? But that feels a bit lazy to me. I was able to recognize the archetypes she presented, and it felt a bit like I’ve already clocked those dudes as pieces of shit. You’re not telling me anything new. I already know how to recognize it, and I’m not part of that fetishized demographic, so, if I can recognize it as familiar, wouldn’t it be even more obvious to the affected community? How does that make for novel discussion then?

And what’s so frustrating is that she ends up with the dude anyway. I don’t know man, I keep running into this issue with romances lately. I’m just like y’all keep making excuses for these men just to feel wanted, and I want more for myself. Can you please want more for yourselves? You're not missing anything if you skip this one.

Who should read this:
Angry, sad girls
Lit fic character study fans

Do I want to reread this:
No

Similar books:
* Vladimir by Julia May Jonas-academic lit fic, sex politics commentary, affairs, unlikable characters, no plot just vibes
* Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress-pretentious art students fuck around and find out, no plot just vibes
* The Seaplane on Final Approach by Rebecca Rukeyser-sleaze, no plot just vibes
* Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney-ensemble cast, unlikable characters, no plot just vibes
* My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh-the OG angry, sad girl book, no plot just vibes
* Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth-sex politics commentary but make it mommy horror, no plot just vibes
* Come and Get It by Kiley Reid-lit fic social commentary, satire?, character study, unlikable characters, no plot just vibes, affairs
* Piglet by Lottie Hazel-female rage, character study, no plot just vibes, affairs
* The Men Can’t Be Saved by Ben Purkert-man creates his own problems and then cries victim, no plot just vibes
* Big Swiss by Jen Beagin-angry, sad girl book, no plot just vibes, affairs
* Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia-hear me out-it’s not, but the same slow-paced character study and dysfunctional relationship pitched as an aspirational romance

A unique retelling of Lolita based around a white man fetishizes Asian women. It's hard to come up with a unique review for such a unique story. I'm disappointed this wasn't able to be published during the authors lifetime for her to see the joy it brings people, but am glad it was able to be published eventually.

I loved the prose in this unique story and it kept me captivated. It was moving and thought provoking.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Katherine Min's voice really resonated with me. Talk about a strong beginning! I was immediately hooked. In the way that I read Kathleen Collins last year (her work saved by her daughter, as well) I am a bit sad to discover Min is no longer with us. I loved this.

I think this book has an incredible premise. As an Asian American, it seemed like it would resonate with me. I also like the exploration of Asian anger, but to me, the book felt really slow. I wasn't personally invested in the characters. I am sympathetic to the fact that this novel was published posthumously after Katherine Min's passing. I think it's lovely that it was still published but I felt disappointed that I didn't really like it. Maybe I need to try again.

Woah! The Fetishist knocked my socks off. A deeply impactful look at the fetishization of Asian women - Min’s posthumously published novel will leave you reeling. A talent taken too soon, I feel so lucky to have read her final words.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at around the 15% mark. While the writing was fine, I just didn’t really find anything about the story that pulled me in. Perhaps a bit too slow for me.

Katherine Min's startling novel THE FETISHIST evinces from every page what a profound literary voice was lost in her passing. Min writes with sharpness and beauty, skewering her characters for their faults but holding them in sympathy, too. Who could resist a book that begins with a young woman standing in the rain, in the dark, clutching a knife and swearing vengeance against the man who hurt her mother? From there, the novel spins out in delightfully wretched directions, offering perspectives from Daniel, the man in question (a professional violinist whose romantic history is littered with the vibrant, talented women he dragged across his wreckage), and his ex-lover Alma (a brilliant cellist who fears she's reaching the end of a long illness and wants to reflect on whether or not she's ever been truly loved). The prose sings just as much as it slices, and I gasped and cringed and cried throughout.

Pulsing throughout this fantastic novel is an exploration of the fetishization of Asian women, the inescapable power dynamics of any heterosexual or heteroracial relationship, the (im)possibilities of grief and forgiveness, and the nature of art. That last chapter will knock you right out of your chair, too. What a BOOK!

This book confused me. I really wanted to like it but I just felt I was not smart enough for it and needed to do additional research so I could understand it.

Katherine Min’s posthumously published novel goes straight for the heart.

The Fetishist is a story of vengeance and forgiveness, and the complex ways humans are capable of hurting and loving each other. A cast of uniquely vulnerable characters, each searching for agency and affirmation in their own ways, collide when Kyoko seeks revenge on the man she considers responsible for her mother’s suicide.

With an unflinching look at the societal fetishization of Asian women, Min asks how we can come to know ourselves as separate from the role we’ve been assigned, and examines how one decision can spiderweb across many lives.

The “Fetishist” is such a unique book. At times a thriller, at times a scathing takedown of Asian fetishism - I sometimes felt a confused by the progression of the story. The concept of fetishism was colored in with a lot of vivid, explicit writing - this did take me by surprise. In general, the character development was brilliant, even though the plot in general felt a bit too dramatic for my taste. Sad we lost Katherine Min, would have wanted to read more by her. There are some tiny typos in the book towards the end where Kyoto refers to Kornell but the name Kyoto is used.

Thank you so much for this ARC! It was a great reading experience!

I don't think I'm smart enough for this book. I understand it and I felt like the fetishization on Asian women was very clear, but I don't think I "got" it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I wasn't sure what to expect based on the blurb, but this was so compelling and well-written with interesting characters. The first scene really grabs you, but then it shifts from feeling more like a thriller to feeling more like a gorgeous and poignant look at aging and reflecting on our past relationships and decisions.

A book based on the culture of a man with an Asian fetish.
Kyoko, a woman seeking vengeance for her mother’s suicide, is stalking Daniel down because she believes he’s the reason.
Beautifully written, likable characters. Has some steamy scenes not fade to black. While this book does have some memorable moments I felt that at times this book would lose momentum.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the late Katherine Min for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kyoko wants to avenge the death of her mother, which she blames on violinist Daniel. She fails until the night Daniel attempts suicide--she saves his life but still takes him captive. But Daniel can't stop thinking about Alma the love of his life, who coincidentally also attempted suicide.

Told from multiple points of view and time periods, this is a unique novel that confronts ethnic and gender stereotypes. It was hard to remember that the flashbacks date not from the 1960s as it seems but far more recently. #TheFetishist #NetGalley

I'm still unsure of what I just read, but I'm also glad I read it!?! It was interesting to go in reading this as a revenge story against a man that fetishized Asian women, because you don't get stories like this often. I was cheering the daughter on, even though I found her to be unlikeable at the same time. Actually I wondered the whole time why any of the women even glanced at Daniel twice. Why did they give him the time of day? The writing and style was beautiful, but maybe I missed something? I don't know, overall it was a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.