Review of Profane Feasts: New American Edition

[Kshitija Sonawane]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Profane Feasts: New American Edition" by Tom Tolnay.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Profane Feasts: New American Edition, written by Tom Tolnay, follows the narration of Alex. Alex is a boy born in a family of Greeks who immigrated from Greece to the United States of America.

Alexandrios Jr. Dropoulos, son of Alexandrios Sr. and Evangelina Dropoulos, narrates various incidents and funny anecdotes. Some will make the readers chuckle, others will teach them a thing or two about Greek culture, others will tell how the Greek immigrants live in the USA, and others will force the readers to think about certain things.

The story I enjoyed the most is the evil eye story. We have a similar phenomenon in India, and it is interesting to know that the Greeks have something similar, too. Using lemons as a cure for evil eye is another common similarity in both cultures, but we also use chillies.

There are some stories in the book that I enjoyed more than others. The book is relatable and forces the readers to feel the characters' feelings. I laughed hard when Alex’s grandma was marching in a bikini in public, but I might have shed a tear or two when his father called his mother ‘little sparrow.’ I enjoyed the character of Alex’s grandma, known as ‘Ya-Ya’ the most.

The book contains short themes discussing homosexuality and some vague mentions of coitus, not describing it, just mentioning it. So, parents can decide if they want their kids to read this book. Only light profanities are sprinkled across the book. In some places, though, the author focuses on women's physical aspects, which might be uncomfortable to explain to kids.

It is pretty challenging to understand the timeline of these stories. In one story, the narrator’s father (Alexandrios Sr.) is dead, and in the next, he is alive. This is a bit confusing. That's why I think the sequencing of these chapters could have been better.

The beginning chapters have a lot of run-on sentences. Because of that, it was difficult to understand a lot of sentences. I had to reread a few sentences to understand them. However, as the book progressed, rereading became less frequent. Either there were less run-on sentences, or I got used to such writing.

The book was beautiful. I did not find many errors in the book. Since the book is so good, I would like to give the book 5 out of 5 stars. The author did a good job with this book. I hope I get to read more of his works.

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Profane Feasts: New American Edition
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[Kshitija Sonawane]

Hello, thank you for reading this book. Please leave your thoughts on the review. If you are a fellow reviewer too and would like to team up, please leave a comment and then message me. I will comment on any new published review of yours too.

[Gerry Steen]

Your review tells me that this book is a fun read. I love other cultures and hearing about people's experiences while living in their culture at home and being assimilated outside. The evil eye is also prominent in the Italian culture. Thank you for this nice review. I am adding Profane Feasts to my bookshelves.

[RJ Reviews]

I appreciate your efforts to point out both positive and negative aspects of the book. Your review is thorough and gives an insight into the book. Life of an immigrant is always full of contrasting things and I would love to read this book some day.

[Sasikala gupta]

A well detailed review. Reading about other cultures and their beliefs are indeed fascinating and if it has similarity to ours all the more better. The life of immigrant is hard but we all do for a better life opportunity. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[devarshi_1113]

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on "Profane Feasts: New American Edition"! I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed the book and found its content engaging. It's always wonderful to receive positive feedback, and I'm glad that the book resonated with you. Your review is greatly appreciated, and I hope you continue to discover and enjoy great reads in the future!

[Mari Thompson]

It’s always interesting to learn how cultures do things differently. I especially like to learn about new foods and how other cultures celebrate holidays. Thank you for this great review and recommendation.

[Orji cyril Kaluokoro]

In this text, the author discusses the book "Profane Feasts: New American Edition" by Tom Tolnay, which follows the story of Alex, a boy born to a Greek family who immigrated to the United States. Alexandrios Jr. Dropoulos, son of Alexandrios Sr. and Evangelina Dropoulos, narrates various incidents and funny anecdotes that will make readers laugh, learn about Greek culture, and force them to think about certain things.
One of the most enjoyable stories is the evil eye story, which shares similarities with the phenomenon in India and Greece. The author uses lemons as a cure for evil eye, and chillies are also used in both cultures. The book is relatable and forces readers to feel the characters' feelings. The author's grandma, known as 'Ya-Ya,' is the most enjoyable character.
The book contains short themes discussing homosexuality and some vague mentions of coitus, which may be uncomfortable for children to understand. The author uses light profanities throughout the book, but in some places, the author focuses on women's physical aspects, which might be uncomfortable for children to explain.
The timeline of the stories is challenging to understand, as the narrator's father (Alexandrios Sr.) is dead in one story and alive in the next. This is a bit confusing, and the sequencing of the chapters could have been better. The beginning chapters have a lot of run-on sentences, making it difficult to understand a lot of sentences. As the book progressed, rereading became less frequent, either due to less run-on sentences or the author becoming used to the writing style.
The book is beautiful and does not contain many errors. The author did a good job with this book, and the author deserves a 5 out of 5 star rating. The author did a good job with this book, and the author hopes to read more of his works.
In conclusion, "Profane Feasts: New American Edition" is a well-written and relatable book that offers a unique perspective on Greek culture and the experiences of Greek immigrants in the United States. The book's narrative is engaging and informative, making it a valuable addition to any collection of Greek literature.

[Risper Ouma Lisa Anyango]

Many immigrants haven't hadn't simple in USA whether Greek or of any other nationality. Your reviews nicely written and you have got me curious about the vague eye story though.

[Alexander Victoria]

Based on the review of "Profane Feasts: New American Edition" by Tom Tolnay, it sounds like the book offers a delightful blend of humor, cultural insights, and thought-provoking anecdotes through the perspective of Alex, a Greek-American immigrant. Readers can expect to both laugh and learn about Greek culture and the immigrant experience in the United States.