Yellowface
I know it probably isn’t very original or creative of me to write a blog post about R.F. Kuang’s novel, ‘Yellowface’, but I felt like it had to be done. When I tried to think of my favourite book that I read recently, this was what immediately sprung to mind.
Why did I love it?
Maybe it’s because writers secretly love writing and reading about writing (there’s definitely something psychologically telling in that) or the themes of envy and greed that captured me from the opening pages. It feels like there’s more, though, a little magic sprinkled on each page. There’s no denying the fact that this book has been immensely popular for a couple of years now. I was initially sceptical (I tend to avoid the popular book of the moment as a rule), but when my friend gave me the book as a gift, of course, I had to read it. The crazy part was: I couldn’t put it down. Over the weekend that I read it, I became engrossed in the story in a way that felt inexplicable to me.
What is it about Yellowface that has captured so many?
The characters aren’t hyper-realistic, at least that’s my opinion. Now, don’t mistake this for a criticism; it’s just something to note. Despite this, the characters Kuang created drew me in completely with their desperate need to be heard and justified. The anti-hero protagonist is unquestioningly questionable, as are most of the characters in the book. Maybe that’s why we (collective fans of this novel) love being drawn into the murky world of their tangled relationships and bad behaviour, because it’s grey…and I think that reminds us of this specific version of the world that we live in.
How did Kuang make a book about plagiarism interesting to read?
Let’s be honest, plagiarism isn’t usually the most interesting topic. My main impression of it was built during my time in university, when I would submit my work and silently panic that the plagiarism detection software might think I used the word ‘the’ too many times. Yet, Kuang took an inherently unfunny topic and made it funny. From the ridiculous death that gave her protagonist the opportunity to steal, to the almost Aristotelian fatal flaw of the second plagiarism incident, I found myself going from laughing to wanting to shake the main character until she saw sense. Reactions like this are what marks really good writing; if you can make your reader feel real emotions, you’ve written a winner.
There’s always a new slew of books rising to the top of the bestseller list and sinking again after the initial buzz has died down, however, it seems that ‘Yellowface’ is here to stay in our minds, our bookshelves and society as a whole. I expect it will be recognised as part of the canon of literature written in this period on a literature course in future. Canonised books have often dealt with the taboo, and ‘Yellowface’ is no different, casting a critical and incisive glance over not just the publishing industry, but society and culture collectively. I think it raises important questions about where we are today:
Are we opportunists, driven to find success no matter the cost?
Are we enablers, promoting (either consciously or unconsciously) the seedier sides of life?
Are we keyboard warriors, screaming into the void in a bid to actually make a change?
Are we desperate people, acting out of fear and uncertainty?
Are we part of the problem?