My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store

After reading so many glowing reviews of this book in print, I took a shot...and was well-rewarded. I had no idea Bronson Pinchot was such a terrific narrator. His abilities as an actor are put to full use in the various voices and accents required. The writing is terribly funny in most places, and moving and poignant in others; Pinchot's voice is perfectly expressive regardless of the scene being read. I find myself bugging my friends to try this book, but particularly in audio. P.S. The George Plimpton impersonations alone are worth the price of the book.

Quite entertaining really, the multicultural clashes are quite interesting. If it's not his mother in-law it's Dwayne the store employee, or even George, his boss, at the Paris Review. The narration is truly excellent, it is hard to believe that Bronson does all those voices.

This book works well on several levels: it is almost always gently (and sometimes) hilariously funny, it gives the reader a refreshing view of the interface of two cultures (WASP and Korean), and as its title portends, it is an interesting description of what it is like to run a deli. As a bonus, for some of us older readers, it gives us a glimpse into the bigger-than-life personage of George Plimpton. The reader is very good! Enjoy.

Warning. If you read My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store by Ben Ryder Howe as audiobook, and listen while walking across campus, you will inevitably end up looking like a crazy person as you break out into uncontrollable laughter just as a tour of prospective students and their parents passes you on the green. I'm just saying.
Other Dangers of Reading My Korean Deli:

If you buy this book now you will miss too many March Madness games, as NCAA basketball (or work or talking to your partner or children or other lesser pursuits) will not be able to compete.

If you have Korean in-laws, and/or a Korean-American spouse, you will find yourself vigorous nodding your head as Ryder Howe describes the culinary, cultural, marital, and son-in-law intricacies, complications and delights of marrying into a Korean family.

You may never complain about your difficult academic, technology, publishing, or whatever professional job again, as almost any gig seems infinitely easier than running a family owned convenience store and deli.

You may think about subscribing to the Paris Review (Ryder Howe is a senior editor during the time his family ran the deli), for no better reason than you are loving reading My Korean Deli.

You might decide to watch (on Netflix Instant) Paper Lion, the 1968 movie in which Alan Alda plays George Plimpton trying out for the the Detroit Lions. Plimpton, the founding editor of the Paris Review and Ryder Howe's boss, vividly and hilariously comes to life in My Korean Deli.

You may abandon your dream of finding a "simpler" life and walking away from the world of academia, medicine, publishing, technology etc. etc. to start your own family business (bookstore, restaurant, cafe, deli etc), after reading about what the life of a small proprietor is actually like.

You may put your idea on hold to move into your in-laws basement (particularly if they live on Staten Island) to save money for a down payment for your own home (as Ryder Howe and his wife did), deciding that on balance it might be wiser to remain a renter.

I'm nominating "My Korean Deli" for the funniest non-fiction book of 2011. Let's hope for some good competition.

This was a fun listen, I think if I had better knowledge of Brooklyn I would have appreciated the setting more. Having lived in NYC I could totally appreciate the intricasies of the bureaucracy the family had to deal with. Bronson Pinchot was a great reader too, his voices and characterizations were right on. This is definately worth a listen.

While the writing is excellent -- there's a reason the author was an editor at the prestigious Paris Review -- it's the narration that is breath-taking. How does Bronson Pinchot nail those voices so PERFECTLY. I never thought I'd re-listen to a book just for the narration but with this one I have. Each person I've recommended this book to has also had a 5-star experience.

A button-downed, dreamy New Englander marries a driven Korean woman, who feels duty-bound to buy a deli for her mother to manage and run. The husband is the narrator of this wonderful true account of culture clashes and heart meshings. It's also a fascinating inside glimpse of the microcosmic world of the ethnic-run deli---the place all of us New Yorkers depend upon in our various neighborhoods for newspapers, coffee, and snack cakes. There's a drama behind every single one of these convenience items. The narrator is phenomenal, capturing Korean, Black, Middle Eastern, and Boston Brahmin accents with seeming effortlessness. I absolutely loved this book.

After listening to several "heavy" books, this was so light - so humorous. Pleasant read

the Korean mother in law

Don't want to give a lot away... I did enjoy all the stories about George Plimpton that were included. He was a talk show guest on many shows when I was a kid....

This could easily be done. Good book for when you don't want to listen to something that you have to give your undivided attention to.

Fascinating story of a family going into business.

When he decided to recommend the run-down deli for purchase.

I felt like he was the author. It was genuine.

The employee keeping everyone safe.

Loved the additional side story of George Plimpeton.

For me, this was an interesting story and very good narration. I looked forward to each listening installment.