I had picked up this book by Rebecca F Kuang – my first book by the author – since this was a July BOTM pick for our Book club Between the Pages. However, I dived in as soon as possible after reading the book’s premise.
June Hayward witnesses her close friend Athena Liu’s death due to an accident (pivotal is the fact that she is the only witness) and dashes to pick up a few carelessly strewn manuscript notes on the spur of the moment. She edits the entire novel and ends up with a lifetime opportunity deal. The story picks up here where the lines are blended and erased in the name of racism, diversity, and plagiarism. The book is the perfect satire on the society we live in, the one ruled by social media followers.
“Every time she tried to branch out to new projects, they kept insisting that Asian was her brand, was what her audience expected. They never let her talk about anything other than being an immigrant, other than the fact that half her family died in Cambodia, that her dad killed himself on the twentieth anniversary of Tiananmen. Racial trauma sells, right? They treated her like a museum”
Yellowface, R.F Kuang
This book reveals the ugly face of the world, especially when it is cornered. How we jump to defend the ideologies because that is what garners the income or the reputation! It barely matters whether we actually believe in the ideologies and the social implications it carries.
Can we adapt someone else’s story and write about it without crediting the sources since the story may belong to otherwise, a nameless entity in the crowd of teeming millions? Is it rightful to edit a manuscript or rather a very basic scribbled idea, and weave it into a beautiful story – claim it to be one’s own work?
“Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic”
Yellowface, R.F Kuang
The book hits the right notes with the difficulties of getting published. The cost of fame comes at a price and most of the time, the authors are not ready to delve into the vortex of the publicity gimmicks. I suppose for any author, the worst imaginable situation is to be accused of plagiarism and be canceled based on such allegations. Rest assured, social media trolls are always out for blood and it is often difficult to adjust to the reality of glamorous life.
Head to the comment section and let us know if you have read the book. You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram to share your views.
Cheers to Reading!
Ordo Ab Chao 