Now, let me tell y’all ’bout this book I just picked up, called Chinese Takeout by Arthur Nersesian. Well, I ain’t no fancy scholar or nothing, but when I read this, it sure did stir up some memories. You ever had one of them days where you just need somethin’ to eat, but ain’t got much in the fridge? Well, that’s kinda what this book feels like – a little bit of everything thrown together, spicy, sour, and a bit of a mess.
Arthur Nersesian, now, he ain’t just some random feller. I reckon he’s written a few other books, like The Fuck-Up and Manhattan Loverboy. I ain’t read ’em, but I hear they ain’t for the faint of heart, and this one ain’t much different. In Chinese Takeout, Nersesian paints a picture of life in the big city, with all its ups and downs, much like how you’d feel after a greasy takeout meal that hits the spot but leaves you wonderin’ about all them calories you just stuffed in your face.
Now, the book, it’s a bit dark, but in a way that feels real, y’know? The story is all ’bout people tryin’ to make sense of their lives, just like how folks in my neck of the woods try to make sense of their crops and animals, but things don’t always go as planned. There’s art, drugs, love, and a whole lot of people messin’ things up, just like a cookin’ disaster when you forget to turn the stove off. There’s a lot of confusion, and that city life? It don’t make things no clearer, that’s for sure.
One thing I noticed in this book is how Nersesian, he don’t hold back none. The characters in this book, they’re messy and flawed. It ain’t like them romance books you read where everything’s perfect and everyone’s just waitin’ for their happy-ever-after. No, this one’s more real. The main character, he’s dealin’ with his own stuff, tryin’ to survive in the mess of a world he’s found himself in, much like how we survive on these country roads, not always pretty but always pushin’ through.
And you know, there’s something about the way Nersesian talks about art. He ain’t talkin’ ’bout some fancy paintin’ on a wall or nothing like that. Nah, he’s talkin’ about art in the way people live their lives, their actions, their decisions. It’s a bit like how we used to make quilts back in the day – not always perfect, but full of meaning and pieced together from bits and pieces of life.
If you ask me, this book ain’t for everybody. If you’re lookin’ for somethin’ sweet and simple, you might wanna put it down. But if you like a little grit, a little rawness, and you ain’t afraid to look at life from all sides, then give it a try. It’s like takin’ a bite of that Chinese takeout you ordered – you don’t know exactly what’s in it, but you keep eatin’ ’cause it’s kinda good, even if it leaves you thinkin’ the next day about what you just consumed.
- Title: Chinese Takeout
- Author: Arthur Nersesian
- Genre: Fiction, Dark Comedy
- Published: 2003
- Price: About $14.99 (Paperback)
- Pages: 304
So, if you’re feelin’ adventurous, and you got a hankerin’ for something different, maybe this here book might just be what you need. It ain’t pretty, it ain’t always neat, but it sure makes you think. Just like how life’s sometimes a bit messy, but you learn to live with it.
Tags：[Arthur Nersesian, Chinese Takeout, book review, fiction, dark comedy, literature, NYC, art, drugs, love]