Advertisement

Portrait of a quiet marriage, or of America’s simmering tensions?

Weike Wang, author of "Rental House."
(Amanda Petersen)
Share via

Book Review

Rental House

By Weike Wang
Riverhead: 224 pages, $28
If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.

On the surface, Weike Wang’s rueful and tender third novel, “Rental House,” is a portrait of a seemingly low-key marriage in which both husband and wife regularly downgrade expectations so as to avert conflict and disappointment. On closer inspection, though, Wang’s slender tour de force offers one of the most nuanced, astute critiques of America now I’ve read in years. And it’s also frequently hilarious.

Cover of "Rental House"
(Riverhead)

Keru and Nate meet cute — or whatever a skeptic’s version of that is — at a Halloween party while attending Yale. Their costumes express their disdain for the holiday: She wears a leopard-print turtleneck, a plaid jacket and shiny gold pants; he’s strapped a white foam shark fin to his back. “What are you supposed to be?” Nate asks Keru. “Indecision,” she answers. “Why? What are you supposed to be?” she asks Nate. “Can’t tell? A great white,” he says.

Keru’s parents had emigrated from China to Minnesota and raised her to be ambitious, self-exacting and altogether formidable. Later on the night of their first encounter, Keru admits to Nate that “some people say they’re scared of me.” Then, without missing a beat, she shouts, “Boo,” which causes Nate to jump. And her ability to startle Nate out of complacency remains a primary element of their future marital dynamic: “He was scared but also intrigued. He imagined the first scientists felt the same when they stumbled across electricity.”

In ‘City of Night Birds,’ Juhea Kim takes on the cost of artistic obsession and the tradeoffs between personal life and career.

When the novel opens, Keru and Nate have been married for five years and are just arriving at a cottage they’ve rented on Cape Cod, where both sets of parents will join them for a week each. She’s on track to make partner at her firm; he’s become a science professor specializing in the study of fruit flies. When they initially met, Keru had assumed that Nate was yet another rich Yalie, when in fact he’s from a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains where his working-class family frequently debate whether they classify as “white trash.” He was at Yale on a full scholarship and has always been uninterested in money, which perplexes Keru, who is all about financial security.

Advertisement

At the rental house, the couple and their dog, Mantou, brace for the arrival of Keru’s parents, scrubbing floors and relaundering bed linens — a futile exercise as no amount of cleaning will satisfy Keru’s vocally judgmental parents, who show up armed with “an array of meat and spinach buns, scallion pancakes, waffles, and an assortment of fluids.” Though it’s a full two years into the pandemic, “few people remained as vigilant as Keru’s parents,” who refuse to leave the house in the course of their stay, which is largely spent watching real-estate shows on TV and arguing about whether “ease is an illusion.” Her father forbids her from using the dishwasher: “To use a dishwasher is to admit defeat. No one is so busy that they can’t take ten minutes out of their day to clean up their own mess.” Though their daughter lives in Manhattan, they urge her to boycott the city’s dangerous subways, or bring Nate with her at all times. To this Keru responds: “Like in my pocket?”

‘The City and Its Uncertain Walls’ bears Murakami’s hallmarks, including references to jazz and the Beatles. It also joins other new works in contending with catastrophe.

Wang is an exquisite practitioner of deadpan, and her dialogue is full of laugh-aloud zingers. But she also uses humorous insights to pierce the outer shell and plunge into themes of loneliness and despair. Wang’s also adept at expanding way beyond her characters’ micro universe, to comment on how Asian Americans are “othered,” forced to navigate the world differently, or on the class disparity among the Chinese diaspora, which relegates Keru’s farming family from Southwest China as belonging to those whose dialect is sneeringly called “talk of the dirt.” So often in the course of reading “Rental House,” I found myself snorting with hilarity at Wang’s perfect comic timing, only to realize that she was getting to something much deeper.

After Keru’s parents depart, Nate’s drive up from North Carolina, where his mother worked as a waitress until she had kids, and his father managed a small grocery store. They are proud of their son’s accomplishments but look down on his “elitist” tendencies, worrying that he will forget where he came from. They are outwardly accepting of Keru, but when she’s not around, they pepper Nate with questions he views as xenophobic.

Advertisement

In 2016, a rift developed between Nate and his parents when his mother posted a happy face emoji on a group chat on the occasion of Trump’s election, despite knowing what he represented to Nate and Keru. When Nate asks his mother why she’d sent that emoji, she replies: “I’m sorry you feel that way … but I should be allowed to express myself. This is my country too.” In response, Nate canceled his plans to visit on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The gathering in Cape Cod years later is meant to make amends, and all are on their best behavior until one night, around a campfire, Keru’s simmering resentment boils over into rage, and she hurls a burning log into the house, where Nate and his astonished parents quickly move to douse the fire.

As Keru ponders the complexities and frustrations of American life, she concludes her parents were “tricked” into coming to this country in the first place. Her father’s impeccable work record never led to a promotion, and her mother was never able to find work in their mostly white town. Their few friends were all Chinese immigrants, who socialize in private, where they can speak Chinese without being stared at. Their motto seemed to be: “Stay neutral and stay out of it.” How was this life better, Keru wonders: “An ability to endure hardship had, in America, been translated into a willingness to accept less.” But there was also “Stockholm syndrome at play,” Wang writes: “While Keru’s parents could never assimilate, there was a chance their daughter could. … Inside Keru’s mind lived a large Mobius strip that looped at high speeds.”

Throughout Wang’s three works of fiction, one discerns the same singular wit and interrogation of mores about gender, ethnicity and income disparity. But here she is at her most poignant and penetrating. She’s cast her lens, with immense empathy, on how divisiveness has hardened our desolation and made us more desirous than ever of a connection we rarely feel. She’s done what only great fiction writers can do.

Advertisement

Leigh Haber is a writer, editor and publishing strategist. She was director of Oprah’s Book Club and books editor for O, the Oprah Magazine.

Advertisement
seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com