Why people recommend it
Native Speaker is the acclaimed debut novel by Chang-rae Lee that follows an espionage agent of Korean descent infiltrating a New York politician's campaign while grappling with questions of assimilation and identity. On July 18, 2024, in an episode of The Book Review titled 'This Land Is Whose Land?', critic Parul Sehgal brought up the novel during a broader literary discussion. Sehgal acknowledged the common tendency for writers to dislike when critics favor a debut over later works, admitting that while it might not definitively be his absolute best, Native Speaker remained her personal favorite among Chang-rae Lee's books. During the same podcast episode, fellow critic Dwight Garner also mentioned the novel while discussing the trajectory of Lee's three-decade career, referencing Native Speaker alongside other notable works by the celebrated novelist.
Who recommended it
- Dwight Garner Discussed
- Parul Sehgal Recommended
Dwight Garner — 1 mention
“I read the new Chang Ray Lee novel and of course you know I'm sure a lot of our listeners to who Chang Ray Lee is a wonderful novelist who's been around for three decades now at least and his books include native speaker and a gesture life and a loft”
Parul Sehgal — 1 mention
“well you know I think writers don't like it when you say their first book is their best but I'm not sure it's his best but it's my favorite shang's book native speaker which came out good good Lord”