Yellowface — R. F. Kuang
About the Book
- Author
- R. F. Kuang
- Rating
- 4.0
- Categories
- Fiction, Thriller
When June Hayward watches her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she steals Athena's just-finished novel and publishes it as her own. A sharp, darkly funny satire of publishing, envy, cultural appropriation and social media pile-ons, narrated by someone you can't quite trust.
My take: Frustrating... June is one of those characters where you just can't quite form an opinion on because their decisions continue to grind your gears.
The book was a great read with an in-depth look into the world of publishing and many of the issues faced in a world where everyone wants to reach the top no matter what it takes to get there.
Quotes
People always describe jealousy as this sharp, green, venomous thing. Unfounded, vinegary, mean-spirited. But I’ve found that jealousy, to writers, feels more like fear. Jealousy is the spike in my heart rate when I glimpse news of Athena’s success on Twitter—another book contract, awards nominations, special editions, foreign rights deals. Jealousy is constantly comparing myself to her and coming up short; is panicking that I’m not writing well enough or fast enough, that I am not, and never will be, enough.
Every writer I know feels this way about someone else. Writing is such a solitary activity. You have no assurance that what you’re creating has any value, and any indication that you’re behind in the rat race sends you spiraling into the pits of despair. Keep your eyes on your own paper, they say. But that’s hard to do when everyone else’s papers are flapping constantly in your face.