Scan barcode
A review by peripetia
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
4.0
Short version: I really liked this. It was entertaining and fun but had some things that I think could have been done better.
And then to the long version.
This has been a pretty controversial book, and understandably so. This book can be read in many ways - as a work of fiction, as R.F. Kuang airing her grievances with the literary world and internet, as a very meta version of her life, or as satire. I read this as satire, which I think was the best approach. Otherwise this would be a pretty insufferable book.
It is glaringly obvious that RFK is using the narrator's voice to deliver her own issues with publishing and the ~ twitterati ~. She makes her point abudantly clear, in the same way that many have criticized both with this book and with Babel: with brute force. I also criticized this same thing with Babel and again here. A little less would suffice - I get that you don't trust your audience to understand your point, but those that wouldn't will not get it no matter how hard you shove it in their face.
The characters are caricaturish, acting as substitutes for the various aspects of being a non-white writer she wants to critique or complain about, depending on how you see it. The narrator embodies all of the racism that white people throw at Asians. I find it hard to believe that a person that stole/wrote a book on China, or 90% of people in general, does not know about the one child policy, but ok.
Kuang interrogates many flaws that surround literature, but not all. She focuses her critique on her critics, without turning a critical eye on herself. There are half-hearted attempts to engage with issues related to diaspora writers as well as class and privilege.
This doesn't mean that Kuang doesn't have a point, several points in fact. If this book hurts a white person's feelings, maybe that person should ask themself why they take this criticism personally.
Still, too much of the book is a long-winded tangent against the things that frustrate her. In my opinion, these could have been shortened, but that would be something Kuang would complain about because people just don't Get Her.
Overall this was a fun book with a lot of themes worth discussion and critique.
And then to the long version.
This has been a pretty controversial book, and understandably so. This book can be read in many ways - as a work of fiction, as R.F. Kuang airing her grievances with the literary world and internet, as a very meta version of her life, or as satire. I read this as satire, which I think was the best approach. Otherwise this would be a pretty insufferable book.
It is glaringly obvious that RFK is using the narrator's voice to deliver her own issues with publishing and the ~ twitterati ~. She makes her point abudantly clear, in the same way that many have criticized both with this book and with Babel: with brute force. I also criticized this same thing with Babel and again here. A little less would suffice - I get that you don't trust your audience to understand your point, but those that wouldn't will not get it no matter how hard you shove it in their face.
The characters are caricaturish, acting as substitutes for the various aspects of being a non-white writer she wants to critique or complain about, depending on how you see it. The narrator embodies all of the racism that white people throw at Asians. I find it hard to believe that a person that stole/wrote a book on China, or 90% of people in general, does not know about the one child policy, but ok.
Kuang interrogates many flaws that surround literature, but not all. She focuses her critique on her critics, without turning a critical eye on herself. There are half-hearted attempts to engage with issues related to diaspora writers as well as class and privilege.
This doesn't mean that Kuang doesn't have a point, several points in fact. If this book hurts a white person's feelings, maybe that person should ask themself why they take this criticism personally.
Still, too much of the book is a long-winded tangent against the things that frustrate her. In my opinion, these could have been shortened, but that would be something Kuang would complain about because people just don't Get Her.
Overall this was a fun book with a lot of themes worth discussion and critique.