Customer Reviews

All That Matters

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I finished All That Matters by Wayson Choy in the wee hours of the early morning. It was so beautiful and compelling that I could hardly bear to put it down to finish the next day.

All That Matters is the long and eagerly awaited sequel to Choy's first book, the award-winning and national best-selling The Jade Peony. Expectedly, it is a continuation of Jade Peony, this time written in First Son Kiam Kim's eyes, instead of the rotating narrators (which included all of the siblings of the Chen family) found in The Jade Peony.

All That Matters is very reminiscent of The Jade Peony - it is almost like an echo of Choy's first book. The book focuses centrally on Kiam Kim, from when he first boards the Hong Kong ship to Gold Mountain (Vancouver, B.C.) to his adulthood in Vancouver's Chinatown. Kiam Kim's Poh Poh is another important part of the story, with her Old China and superstitious ways. She tells stories about ancient myths and ghosts, of which make Kiam Kim feel torn - in some instances, he believes in the things Poh Poh tells him, but his father is constantly reminding him that they are in Gold Mountain, not Old China, and to adapt essentially to "modern, scientific, Canadian ways."

Kiam Kim's responsibility as "First Son" and "Dai-Goh (Oldest Brother)" sometimes burdens him, but he soon learns that this is the Chinese way - as the First Son and the oldest sibling, he needs to be a good role-model for the rest of the family and, ultimately, refrain from "shaming" the family in any way. He is best friends with Jack O'Connor, an Irish white boy who is his next-door neighbour. A somewhat clandestine but intimate relationship between Kiam Kim and Jenny Chong (the daughter of one of Poh Poh's mah-jong mates) forms. All That Matters also deals with the second World War, of which readers will see makes a significant impact on Kiam Kim and the rest of the characters in the book.

All in all, All That Matters is a satisfying, triumphant sequel to The Jade Peony - and rightfully so that it was long and eagerly awaited. Choy does not disappoint in this sequel to his first book. In fact, he writes hauntingly and seductively, often incorporating Chinese phrases uttered by Poh Poh and other members of his family to make things more homely and authentic. Readers will be compelled by this wonderful book, entering the world of Kiam Kim - his trials and tribulations, his responsibilities and burdens, his relationships and family, and, ultimately, what matters.

For fans of The Jade Peony, I highly urge you to pick up All That Matters and to read it. I guarantee you will like it as much, if not more, than The Jade Peony. It is no surprise why All That Matters won the Trillium Award again, not to mention was also a finalist for the Giller Prize.

Having met Wayson Choy at an author reading in December made reading All That Matters for me that much more exciting and thrilling. I felt like I shared an affinity with various characters in the book and, at times, with Wayson Choy. I am certainly looking forward to reading more work by Wayson Choy.

I highly recommend All That Matters.

Another great novel that explores the Chinese American (well in this case North American) culture as well as growing up during the great depression in an industrialized town. I was disappointed in the ending, feeling like it just drifted off. It was a little confusing. But the rest of the book I found pleasant& intriguing. "In all the ways they lived their lives, survivors like Poh-Poh and Stepmother, Third Uncle and Father, and those elders who hacked their breath away, they were all saying 'Sail, paddle, swim, but push forward to shore. Do not drown in the past.'"

This book tells a story. There's romance, mystery and some funny parts. The writer takes the time to divulge every minute detail, so you can relate to what's going on. That can make it tedious at times and even kind of slow, but it's part of the journey that this book relates. So if you're looking for a fast read, that you don't have to focus much on, this isn't that kind of book.

This was the first book I've read by the author and I plan to read others by him. It was just a pleasure to read this!

I picked this book on a whim at the airport, and had no idea what to expect from the author. By the end of the book I was mesmerized by the heartbreaking story about a young Chinese American growing up in Vancouver's Chinatown during the 1930's. Choy weaves real American history with a lovely touching tale of life for Chinese immigrants, cultural interactions, family traditions, and new friendships. The prose is hauntingly beautiful, catching the reader by his words and tugging at the heart.

Choy's latest, which continues the story told in "The Jade Peony" from a different perspective, is vivid, quiet and heartfelt. Choy has a real gift for story telling. I feel like I know exactly what Vancouver's Chinatown looks, feels, and smells like. Wonderful, evocative writing.

I've just re-read this book after having read it last year, and it retained it's touching and poignant story. Having grown up Chinese in Canada, albeit in the 1970's, I related to a lot of Mr Choy's characters.

A beautiful story.

btw: to the first reviewer... the story is of a Chinese-"Canadian", not chinese-american. the story takes place in Canada, and all of the characters pronounce to be Canadian. i just needed to clarify for my sake.