Gulliver's Wife is a masterful short-story ripe with dynamic characters who struggle through a slightly-blurred storyline. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact conflict (as it often is in reality) although the story feels unsettled and tense. Huynh creates heavy contrast between husband and wife Thuong and Josephine upon their relocation from Saigon to Vancouver, Canada. While Josephine, a seemingly submissive wife - yet secretly brilliant ex-teacher - molds into routine that includes intimate visits with a Canadian male, Thuong fails miserably at the pursuit of his PhD and feels his wife slip away alongside his true passion, cutting hair. This story is full of French phrases, Vietnamese cuisine, and sharp images of Vancouver. In my opinion, the story could have doven deeper into the conflict with the mother-in-law, the son's education, or the appearance of the General. Instead, the blurry plot comes to an uncertain conclusion that leaves the readers wondering what happened: just a shave, or a Sweeny Todd-esc murder?
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April 2015
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