{"id":2369,"date":"2025-01-29T13:51:09","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T20:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.timporter.com\/seconddraft\/?p=2369"},"modified":"2025-02-17T12:01:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T19:01:10","slug":"yellowface-kuang-book-review-satire-annoying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.timporter.com\/seconddraft\/?p=2369","title":{"rendered":"Bookshelf \u2013 Yellowface, R.F. Kuang"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The New York Times opines that \u201cYellowface\u201d is \u201ca twisty thriller and a scorching indictment of the publishing industry\u2019s pervasive whiteness and racial blind spots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If only it were so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather, while \u201cYellowface\u201d is indeed a send-up on the failings of the publishing industry \u2013 which, ironically, the author herself takes full advantage of \u2013 there is neither anything twisty, thrilling, or evenly mildly scorching about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a word, \u201cYellowface\u201d is annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prose reads like a lengthy post on Bluesky or X, a self-indulgent rant by perhaps the most unlikeable character I\u2019ve come across: a whiny, weak-minded, morally empty would-be author so emotionally needy that she balks at no deceit to feed her sniveling inner beast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I told myself as the year began that I would bail early on such drivel, but because \u201cYellowface\u201d was my first book of the new calendar, I slogged on to the equally disappointing finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If indeed \u201cYellowface\u201d \u2013 published by William Morrow — somehow indicts Big Publishing it does so by its very existence, testament to the current sad state of standards that not only allow but seemingly encourage younger authors to publish whatever comes into their digitally shaped minds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The New York Times opines that \u201cYellowface\u201d is \u201ca twisty thriller and a scorching indictment of the publishing industry\u2019s pervasive whiteness and racial blind spots.\u201d If only it were so. Rather, while \u201cYellowface\u201d is indeed a send-up on the failings … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[784],"tags":[933,770,930],"class_list":["post-2369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","tag-annoying","tag-book-review","tag-r-f-kuang"],"yoast_head":"\nBookshelf \u2013 Yellowface, R.F. 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