Yellowface: The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from author R.F. Kuang

Product Information

Out of the five books of hers I've read (all of her works except for that one anthology she worked on), I've really liked and sometimes loved three of them. June Hayward, a white American woman struggling to become an author, is frenemies with Athena Liu, publishing darling. I texted a friend afterwards that this film, based on the novel Le otto montagne by Paolo Cognetti, was “Elena Ferrante, but for the boys”. We have the twitter fights where people exist as a self-brand of being antagonists, we have goodreads reviewers where their brand is taking down popular authors (some lines that may sting are remarks from other authors to not read goodreads and harsh takes are more about feeding ego than worthwhile criticism), and journalists who make a brand at hot takes. We’re supposed to applaud White people for the amazing work they’ve done in “allowing” us to enter the spaces and “give” us the opportunity to tell “our stories.

Yellowface – HarperCollins Publishers UK

From that last one it's again apparent and so on-the-nose how me and RFK's morally grey characters just work together. So when June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I. Yes, at times it makes its point bluntly/crudely and in an obvious way, though through this satire Kuang raises deeper questions too, such as whether anyone can remain truly ethical or generous in a brutally capitalist publishing industry. It starts off innocently enough (or so June claims) being an exercise in editing that she gets so caught up in loving writing again that she passes it off as herself. But as evidence threatens June’s stolen success, she will discover exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

Both Athena and June are awful people, and I love that neither of them is a saint, but reading the entire thing from June's pov? In destroying her,’ June narrates the voice of social media, ‘ we create an audience we create moral authority for ourselves.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang | Waterstones Yellowface by R.F. Kuang | Waterstones

While the marketing grab here is definitely the idea of colonizing another’s work and culture and passing it off as your own (there are many moments for readers to fist bump the novel and say “HAHA take that shit, “Junie””) Kuang makes this a symptom of a larger issue. Which becomes a tragic interplay at the way authors are demanded to be vulnerable, to seek authenticity and expose their pain for book sales, yet social media loves to exploit personal details and use vulnerabilities as an opening for an attack. She mocks criticism she has received in the past for her very real, non-fictitious books, through these characters.

also, just to add, this type of thing is still happening all the time, including in other industries. It all boils down to self-interest…If publishing is rigged, you might as well make sure it's rigged in your favor.

Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang – a wickedly funny publishing Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang – a wickedly funny publishing

Loneliness and the desperate desire for recognition serve as driving forces, pushing the protagonist to extreme measures. While I don’t have extensive knowledge of her work, I think what Kuang is doing in this book is actually quite brilliant. insert criticism here] is literally the whole point of the story omgggg how could you miss the point so bad did you even pass english lit in school etc etc.Amadeus – a three-hour biographical drama about Mozart, told from the perspective of a jealous Salieri – is one of my favourite films of all time.

R.F. Kuang | Waterstones

i think it's a good example of what i've been saying, to be honest, about how yellowface is more about The Point than any story it's trying to tell. In contrast, June’s novel didn’t even get a paperback, and it’s fair to say she’s somewhat bitter: “Publishing picks a winner — someone attractive enough, someone cool and young and oh, we’re all thinking it, let’s just say it, diverse enough – and lavishes all its money and resources on them. The judgmental and self-righteous individuals surrounding her also exhibit misogynistic tendencies and relish in criticizing and witnessing the downfall of others, all while raising their champagne glasses in celebration. I will see it in Texas at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra next week, but the final stop is at the Royal Albert Hall in October.Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. She will not be redeemed, rooted for, or endeared by the end; however, watching her downfall is oddly satisfying in a way that I cannot quite explain. Understanding is not the same as condoning here, and it is a page-turning trip watching June dip and dodge as her usurped empire continuously threatens to crash down around her. i think my main problem is that the author's personal voice bleeds through the text and does not give the reader much room to think.