I appreciate what went into the publication of this book, and the concepts at its heart. Unfortunately, for me, this just wasn't a good fit. I found the writing difficult to engage with consistently. There were brilliant moments of delightful dark prose, but these were often followed by a series of pages where it felt like I just couldn't catch and hold on to the threads of the story. Kyoko was a fabulous character and I loved her story arc, but I got so frustrated with Daniel so early on and he was such a big part of the book that it was really difficult for me to keep reading a lot of the time. Unfortunately I really struggled with this one...

It was...okay.

It was a little too rom-com for me. Some of the characters were two-dimensional: the gentle giant, the devoted gay male best friend. The author left the book unfinished when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, and started writing memoir. She died in 2019.

I think the bones of a better book are in here. What was published is in need of editing and revision. The plot is intriguing, the main characters are interesting people. I just don't buy into the far-fetched coincidences, and tragicomedic situations of romantic drama. If that is your bag, you might like it.

thank you for the opportunity to read and review the book !

I found this to be a unique and silly way to examine fetishization of Asian women . However the writing felt a little flat to me and I didn’t find myself enjoying the book . Overall decent but nothing exciting.

This book was enthralling. It is about Asian fetishization and the ways in which men, white men in particular, are drawn to Asian women and why (e.g., colonialism, power, stereotypes around submission and sex.)

However, it was about so much more than that. Far from being all one thing - this book was nuanced and beautiful, never telling the reader what to think or how to feel.

Daniel, for all his flaws (and there are many) is not all bad. I found myself grappling with my thoughts on Daniel throughout. Does he have redemption (or what passes for it) by the end?

As many characters did throughout the story, I found myself falling in love with Alma - her strength, her talent, and her enigmatic personality. She was described as someone you would want to orbit around and to spend a life with — which made me feel for Daniel, even if he alone was responsible for the events that transpired. The acute loss of her, I imagine, would be life-altering.

Kyoko, her grief, anger, and need for revenge was so well-written. The climax of that story arc had me in tears.

A story about culture, who has power and how that power is wielded, consequences, sexism, classism, racism, the toll of mental illness, chronic disease, of passions altered - it’s all there in this short novel. The story, told from multiple perspectives and characters, was well-paced and kept my attention. The prose, was breathtaking— I highlighted so much of my copy, often reading passages aloud to my wife in rapture and awe.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the author’s passing. Katherine Min’s daughter worked to get this book published posthumously and for that, I am so grateful. This will be a favorite book of the year for me. Striking and poignant.

Look for The Fetishist when it comes out on Jan 30 2024.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

The story seemed to take place mostly in the past through memories. Two former lovers find themselves going through difficult times. These events lead them to ruminate over their past life together, although separately. Eventually they are brought back together, and they finally have the discussion that should have happened decades before.
At some points I felt that the author was being over descriptive as if trying to add filler instead of adding to the actual story. I felt that the last couple of chapters could possibly be written in at an earlier point in the story.
While the story seems drawn out, the end brings it all together. The lovers recall their history that has led them down the paths of their respective lives, which eventually leads to not only forgiveness of others but of themselves as well.

Small Asian woman attacks Big Irish Man? This book was interesting and hit on all sorts of things that let you into how passionate these characters were about their talents. I liked that different POV and Time Lines it kept things interesting. Overall this was just a decent read for me, not bad, not great.

I was excited about this book because I had heard a lot about it but I was disappointed. It was written in a way that went past being spare to being childlike and I found it hard to get into. It felt like a book written for much younger readers but the content and subject matter wasn't. It wasn't horrible but I don't like reading books that feel like they are written at a fourth grade level and my mind kept drifting.

Also, Baltimore does not have brownstones, much less downtown, we have a harbor and rowhouses.

this book is amazingggggg. easily in my top 5 of the year so far.

i love everything min did here - i loved the complicated, utterly REAL and lovable and diverse characters, i loved the way the story jumped around in time and perspective, i loved the exploration of love, intimacy, infidelity, fetishization, race/racism, vengeance and so much more. i loved the length of the story - it didn't feel too short or too long, and it had me hooked from start to finish. and lastly, i loved that i even learned to empathize w/ the fetishizing 'antagonist' a bit over time -- this book just served such a gut-punch reminder that we all have ugly parts inside of us, and min portrayed the complicated messiness of being a human so dang well.

made me laugh, reflect, and even tear up a little. plus there were several lines/paragraphs i had to re-read because GOD they were gorgeous.

i was especially sad to know that min passed away, as she is an insanely talented writer and i wish she had been able to create more incredible work like this before her time here was over. i'm so grateful that this is being published posthumously, and that we get to enjoy her impeccable talent even after her passing.

thank you netgalley and penguin group <3

I didn't have a concept of a "fetishist" before I read this book. Is it actually a "thing"?

The Fetishist is about how the lives of 3 people come together from a very troubled root, and proceeds to offer a beautiful flower of an ending. I've never encountered a story like this one, about man with Irish ancestry who from adolescence was attracted to small Asian women. All the main characters in this story are musicians, and they are all incredibly passionate in their music, and their lives. The story moves between past and present, with a lot of love and hate, and is compelling to read.

The characters seem well developed, and I felt like I was living in their lives for several days. It is complex, and the all threads seem to be tied together nicely by the end.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review The Fetishist.

Start off, amazing that this book was put together after a tragedy by the writers daughter. Although I guess this book was confusing in bits. I wanted to like characters more but every time it seemed like they would reveal themselves, they just pulled back.

i have chills.

“the fetishist” is an incredibly meaningful and somewhat violent exploration into the way white men fetishize and abuse asian women and their respective cultures. daniel cheats on his wife, claiming that all asian women look the same. when alma falls ill, japanese assassin kyoko decides to kidnap him and torture him to get alma’s revenge, as well as the revenge of all asian women who are victims of fetishization.

poignant, bloodcurdling, and introspective, this is a novel i would recommend to anyone and everyone. it is clear that min has written from a place of pain and turned it into a gorgeous work of fiction.

to find out that this novel is being published posthumously was absolutely heart wrenching. what an amazing woman with so much talent! sending all my love to her family as they heal. i would read anything katherine min has to offer.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!