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.

- When I finished THE FETISHIST, I thought, “What the heck just happened? That was awesome!”
- If you’re looking for a book that is slightly unhinged, funny, and yet filled with deep emotions, this is the book for you. It’s also a weirdly fast paced for a character-based story; I couldn’t put it down.
- I heard about this book because it was published by Min’s daughter after Min’s death. I wish we’d been able to see more from her, and I also hope people will pick up this strange little book and appreciate what she did give us.

This book was truly something special. I know it’s only January, but I am certain this will remain on my list of favorite reads of 2024. I’ve had this on my Netgalley shelf for almost a year now actually, I’m not sure why it took me so long to really dive into it? But once I got into the nitty gritty I was physically unable to put it down. I also didn’t realize when I first requested it on Netgalley last year, that this was published posthumously. Cathy Park Hong wrote a beautiful introduction that gave some insight into how intently this book was labored over by the author before her death, even without plans to publish it. As I was reading, I could truly feel just how much time and care was poured into this book, and into these characters. I wish I could give it a million stars.

This story is broken up into a few different parts, following a few different characters, whose lives are all intertwined by one man: Daniel Karmody. First, there is Alma, a former cellist prodigy who was Daniel’s former lover and ex-fiancé, now suffering from MS and also in a coma brought on by a failed suicide attempt. Then, there is Emi, recently deceased, previously part of the orchestra that Alma and Daniel were involved in, and one of Daniel’s former flings. And lastly, Kyoko, Emi’s daughter, who is hellbent on making Daniel Karmody pay for the emotional havoc that he wreaked on Emi, believing this is what ultimately led to her mother’s decline in sanity and ultimately her death.

The story starts out with Daniel’s own failed suicide attempt, which is interrupted by Kyoko and her boyfriend Kornell. After months of planning, they kidnap him and keep him locked in their basement, as Kyoko decides how she wants to kill him. As Daniel comes to terms with the fact that he has in fact been kidnapped by Emi Tokugawa’s daughter, he reminisces on the events of his life that have led him here. And in these reminiscent musings, at the center of everything, is Alma.

Meanwhile, as Alma has similar dreamlike memories from her comatose state, she also thinks back on the events that have led her here. And as you can likely guess, at the center of her memories, is Daniel. Bouncing between Alma and Daniel, we get a glimpse into their past, their messy relationship and their even messier demise. As we weave in and out of the past and present, diving into the psyches of Daniel, Alma, Kyoko and Kornell, it all comes together and expands into a rich and detailed story of love, loss, ego, revenge, and acceptance.

This story was EVERYTHING, I am so obsessed with every part of it. It weaved together a cast of characters that were so rich and flawed and real, that it felt by the end like I’d known them all for years. And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loathed one of these characters (I wonder if you can guess who lol), but regardless, they just felt so REAL. Their inner monologues were just so impeccably written, and felt natural as anything.

A central theme in this book is Daniel’s fetishization of Asian Women, and I think that the way this was explored by the author was so necessarily blunt and honest, but also hilarious and sarcastic. At one point we see Alma break her experience with fetishizers up into three different subcategories which she refers to: The Cultural Ambassador, The Carnal Colonialist and The Rational Revolutionary, each with their own unique description so specific and spot on, oozing with sardonic flair.

I think the ending is actually what shocked me most of all, because it definitely went in a direction that I was not expecting, and at first I didn’t know how I felt about it. I am still thinking! But I think I am leaning toward accepting it. Maybe? Undecided. If you’ve read it I’d love to know what you think! This book has so many layers, so many messy characters, so much to think about, and I just loved it so MUCH UGH !!!!!!

First thank you to the publishers and NetGally for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This book was not what I was expecting but turned out to be such a beautiful and thoughtful experience. As someone who has MS I really understand the pain and sadness behind the character which made her so much more real for me. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be suggesting it.