Review: Eating Kimchi and Nodding Politely
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 5, 2012
A few lines from the introduction of Eating Kimchi ... jumped out at me as getting to the heart of what the book is about. He described these pieces as "creative non-fiction based on the real things that were happening to me in my new, unusual, home" about "emotions and situations that are universal. Things like death, love, sex, friendship, and food are not confined to one country."Although a collection of essays, from very short to relatively long, that each stand alone and were not designed to have an overarching theme, they still form a coherent whole. Clermont didn't arrange the essays in chronological order, but instead ordered them in a way that I thought made the flow better. Many wouldn't consider this a travel book, yet it has many of the qualities that some travel books have: a foreign locale with insights contrasting the local culture to the author's own, and an attempt by the author to better understand himself based on his reactions to his new environment. However, the author is more open and forthcoming about his personal struggles and how they relate to his experiences than the typical travel book, taking Eating Kimchi ... more into the ground usually trod in a memoir. An excellent read, both for its insights into life in Korea and how it shines a light on the human condition in general.**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **