Hi all, today I'm doing a super quick review of Rebecca Kuang's novel 'Yellowface'. I'm aware that not everyone likes every aspect of the book and there are some valid criticisms like how it doesn't address class issues or how it doesn't address nepotism in the publishing industry but honestly I need a break from negative stuff. If you've seen my latest video on my second channel, you'll know I'm struggling a lot at the moment plus with some stuff in my personal life that happened this week, I don't really have it in my to be overly critical right now so please just let me focus on the positive in something for once. If you want negative, I've got another video out soon about the Legally Blonde book in which I compare things I like and dislike about the book and film.
I love the positive videos as well! If you're not feeling it at the moment, I'd also love to see other positive or not exactly negative book videos (just normal critique and criticism). That's entertaining and informative to watch!
I love any videos you put out, but i would love to see more positive reviews even if it doesnt get the engagement or views or whatever, it doesnt matter, I just love hearing your thoughts and exponential positivity is something i know i definitely crave
hey, we’ll watch whatever type of content you want to upload because we’re here for you just as much as the content itself. i hope you’re doing okay & that things get better for you!!
I followed you for years but I do not pretend to know you. I am, in a way, in a parasocial relationship with you, so I emphasize that I DO NOT KNOW how you are. But it's really good seeing you passionate and enthusiastic about a topic. We can all see how this book moves you and fills you with enthusiasm. So it's nice to see you like this. That said, I hope, all and all, you are doing better, although I don't know you, I still wish you the best ❤
The funny thing is that while I was reading the part about June working on Athena’s draft, I kept thinking damn, in another world, those two could’ve co-authored a bestseller. Or maybe June could’ve been an editor. I mean, she disagreed a lot with Athena’s vision and changed a lot of it because Athena couldn’t defend said vision - but it’s undeniable that June was inspired like hell to work on that draft, she absolutely loved the process. If only there was some humility in her, the willingness to educate herself, she could’ve done something genuinely awesome. I dunno, it felt like maybe her talents lied elsewhere but she was too blinded by jealousy to notice.
I loved the book because I know real authors who are the same as the main character. There are people in my country who took real Chinese novels, stole the premise, made the characters be white with white (or non-Chinese, made out of random sounds) names and still promote their books as "Asian fantasy" alongside the good Chinese novels. And I've spent a few years telling people how disrespectful it is and they are THE SAME AS JUNE. She is infuriating, but racists who refuse to admit they are racist are.
I saw Kuang speak at a book festival about Yellowface and it made me appreciate the crafting that went into writing it. It seems so simplistic and surface level at first, but it was interesting to hear what went into this story. Also, Kuang admits this was a lockdown project, so I think it gave her space to do something different from her previous works. While I enjoyed Yellowface, I read Babel afterwards and absolutely LOVED it. Babel is definitely my favourite of the two (I haven't gotten to the Poppy Wars yet).
As a trauma survivor, there's a tendency towards splitting and self-victimization. Seeing you embrace the nuances of a character is very comforting, as it is a sign of healing. Wishing you all the best
I didn’t dislike this book but I didn’t love it. June was awful! The way she behaved made me equally burn with secondhand embarrassment for how selfish she is and want to shake her for being so foolish and doubling down. The whole story made me so deeply uncomfortable. I think Kuang did a great job of showing the impact of this kind of behaviour.
i love hearing your passion for good writing! especially if it's easier on you mentally, i'd love to see you talk more about books you enjoy. i really enjoy hearing what you have to say about a lot of things; watching your videos make me feel like im not alone or crazy in this world. thank you
Rachel I have been growing so much from age 17 to 22 now, your videos have helped me so much in these formative years, especially about my feelings about trauma from grooming, as a man it was so hard to find validation and i thank you for opening my eyes just with your words and compassion. Im sorry if this is parasocial behavior, but i just want to put it out there that so many of my opinions and feelings about sooo many things as a teen and now, youve helped me realize im not alone with my views about atheism, etc. I love positive videos from you, i need a break from negativity too a lot of the time + I am always looking for book recommendations and your positive opinion of a book is very valuable to me
The colour palette of this video is so autumn themed- I don't know if that was intentional, but I love it. Also, obviously I don't personally know you, but I do also watch your videos on your 2nd channel, and I hope you're in a better emotional/mental frame of mind, that talking about the books you love help cheer you up. You're one of my favourite people to watch on RUclips and I think your videos are always very insightful and empathetic, not to mention educational. You're doing a wonderful job. 🖤
The Poppy War trilogy and Babel were 5 stars for me but I didn't like this one that much. I saw this review on goodreads and I agree with it "what i expected to be an insightful critique of racism in the publishing industry turned out to be more of a jab at twitter discourse? more than anything, it felt like the author was using the main character to respond to real life criticism she’s received, which isn’t inherently bad, but it made the story feel a bit shallow. i think rfk is an extremely talented writer, which is why my expectations were so high. i just feel like this book had the potential to say so much more, but i finished it thinking, “that’s it?”
I know the negative stuff does better, but I really love watching you gush about stuff you really enjoy. That was what drew me into your channel in the first place! I loved your poetry reviews because of the way you talked about the poems you actually liked!
Have you read her other series the Poppy War?? If you enjoyed her other works I would say give it a try but look up CW beforehand ! Glad you enjoyed Kuang’s writing ! It’s amazing
I really appreciate your review of this! I absolutely loved Babel with all the nuance, linguistics, and complex characters, but had heard so many conflicting things about Yellowface. Kuang is brilliant. I’m definitely going to read this one. Thank you!
This video format/type is just lovely. I'd definitely eat up more of these types of videos if you felt like making them. 💜 Definitely going to look for Rebecca Kuang's books next time I'm at my local bookstore. :)
I also loved this book because of how icky june made me feel with her actions, yet still sympathizing with her in certain moments. LOVED babel, have you read the poppy war trilogy too? It’s pretty bloody/graphic but so so good
I absolutely loved the book when I read it, but then I started reading some about the meta-narrative behind the novel and how Juniper was a sort of authorial insert for Kuang in response to criticism she’s received in the past, and it didn’t sit as well with me. The book is, in a sense, written spitefully by Kuang toward actual, specific book reviewers for some pretty valid criticisms they had. The more I looked into it, the more I saw that most of the people who loved the book were white readers, and most of the biggest critics were from readers of Asian descent. I’m not at all saying that anyone should enjoy the book less for this, or even that anyone needs to look into the controversy behind the novel, but I found it enlightening.
babel really is so good and feels incredibly relevant. I love the subtle but effective way that Kuang writes white women. true master of “show, don’t tell.” now I have to go read yellowface!! ty for this video ❤️
I read this book a little while ago and have been recommending it to everyone! It's so good at creating those conflicting feelings. You want her to have consequences, but when she is facing them you aren't sure anymore what they should be. Note: I explained parts of this book to my partner (who is half Chinese) and OH BOY he was going INSANE. Good to hear more people discuss this book :) P.S. you're absolutely beautiful today
Oooh I haven't read Yellowface yet so I think I'm going to hold off on this one for now, but I will definitely come back because after reading Babel a few months ago, I am kind of fascinated by R.F. Kuang.
What I liked a lot about yellowface is that it's easy to fall into moralisms when writing racism but in yellow face imo it's more realistic. The protag just doesn't get it that she was indeed bigoted in ways that were influencing how she perceived the world. If the main character realized those things she would realize they are bad and well stop doing it the way she was starting to get close to towards the end. In my opinion while the book is supposedly about the publishing industry I think it's more about communication. It's about what happens when you bash someone who does not have the tools to understand what they did, how that person would grow defensive from it because they understand they did something wrong and how that kinda leads into doom spirals. I really enjoyed the book. I prefered babel's larger overarching perspective instead of just the intercharacter conflict of yellow face but still a great read. I did not like the ending at all tho lmao
i would love to see you review babel but i know it's probably not the kind of video that would do well on your channel though I'm sure you'll have a lot of interesting things to say about it. Kuang had practice writing an unlikable protagonist in her poppy war trilogy and she's really good at it. There are a lot of valid criticisms of her work but she has also gotten a lot of criticism that is based in nothing other than racism and poor media literacy so i'm always happy to see people talk about the positives. I really enjoy hearing you talk about books you liked and would love to see more of that if the algorithm gods would allow it
I hope this doesn't sound super confusing... Something that I adore about the experience of watching your videos (& I've been watching since your first video about To Train Up a Child was released) is the way you trigger my empathy & mirroring instincts. I too am autistic, & I often misunderstand or misinterpret much of the range of emotional expression when communicating with neurotypical people. This is made all the worse by the lack of mutual connection between RUclips content creators & myself. Your ability to take your feelings of joy, enthusiasm, sense of wonder, shock, sympathy, shame, & deep deep anguish, then transfer them straight into my brain to feel with you is such a satisfying emotional experience. Thank you for being brave & vulnerable with your emotional expression. It has helped me so much.
I’m definitely gonna read this, the premise is super super interesting. Thanks for reviewing it! I love reading but I struggle to find books that intrigue me so I appreciate it
LOVE LOVE LOVE your bookish videos! You had a lot of insight on yellowface that i didn't have, I've read it too and i agree with a lot of your major points
Great review!! I always love your observations. What I also was thinking randomly while watching and (apparently) just have to say: I think you would look amazing with a short bob. You are so classicly pretty! Keep on making amazing stuff! You cheer up my day!
Thank you for bringing this books to my attention! I thoroughly enjoyed Babel last year and Yellowface has now gone on my 'to read' list. (I also hadn't come across the Poppy Wars, so thank you to the commenters who mentioned those as well.) I liked this shorter format & it's great to see you talking about something that makes you smile. All good wishes to you.
I really like this format! Your reviews are so insightful. I liked, didn't love Yellowface, agree with most of your analysis, but would have liked a deeper, less caricature-ish exploration of the publishing/book marketing industry and thought the ending was rushed. But it was certainly very readable. I'm looking forward to picking up Babel.
I bought a copy because it was the pick for the next session of the book club I go to. I got 15 pages in and had to put it down because June is so irritating that I knew I'd never be able to finish it 🤦🏻♀️
Yellowface was the best book I read in 2023! I just recently wrote an analysis essay focusing on the theme of identity in he book for a literary seminar course I was taking.
Ive never read this book yet, I was debating on if I should or shouldn't but now I think I'm going to buy myself the book if when I go to the library tomorrow and cannot find it. Thank you.
As an indigenous 2s woman of turtle island I really want to read this! What a fun way to explore narrators and fun ways of exploring culture and the concept of cultural appropriation
3:21 this is reminding me of how much more western-accessible the movie is for Crazy Rich Asians compared to the book where I kept flipping to the explanatory footnotes. I enjoyed both, but definitely feel the movie was moved closer to me.
Thank you for the this positive review. I recently started another of Kuang's books and was wondering if this one is worth it, and now I'm sold. Also, if books addressed all issues all the time, some of the points would fall flat, so the critiques in your comment are not a deterrant for me
I read both Babel and Yellowface earlier this year and devoured them both! Rebecca Kuang is truly a genius and I’m so impressed that she can master two very different genres/styles of writing. I’m now going to read her earlier novel The Poppy War which is apparently a different genre again. I’ll definitely read every book she publishes in the future, she has earned herself a lifelong fan in me. As a white woman myself I pretty much had exactly the same thoughts as you did about Yellowface; I loved to hate June but I also found myself sympathising with her and wishing she wasn’t being harassed. Kuang truly does write with such impressive nuance, June is an awful person but she doesn’t deserve to suffer in the way she does, I found myself feeling sorry for her and almost actually rooting for her to get away with her plagiarism at some parts of the book, which then made me question myself and my own morality, which I’m certain was Kuang’s intention. It reminded me of the character Humbert Humbert in Lolita, he is written as so charming, funny and seemingly honourable and upstanding that at times you find yourself rooting for him, and then you question yourself and feel disgusted with yourself for sympathising with him. That’s truly brilliant writing. Thanks for another great video Rachel, I sincerely hope you’re doing well.
I was thinking about reading Yellowface, but I was so disappointed with Babel that I am still mad at the author's choices in it 😅Still nice to hear your opinion on it :)
the one thing i’ve heard as a criticism about this book is the treatment of class. as i understand, the author faced some comments regarding her privileged background and seemingly mixed in some of it with june’s racism. it’s not wrong per se, but it leaves a bad taste…
I've just finished reading the book and I definitely agree with you! June's whitewashing and racism is so blatant it made me feel sick at times, as well as her self-pity ... I understand being frustrated with how unfair the publishing industry is, but come on .. what makes this book so special for me is that with the exception of Athena's mother, I disliked every last character pretty much from the first time they appeared- and still, I read it in a few days and loved the story! Sure, Kuang could have adressed class issues more- like the fact that Athena's parents being rich most likely helped her in getting famous- but I still find her story very very intriguing. As an aspiring author myself it should probably scare me away from writing, but somehow it just encouraged me to put even more care and effort into my work to make sure I tell good and honest stories- while also realising that even with all the possible precautions you can take, there is no way any author will ever please absolutely everyone.
I havent watched this yet, but i really enjoyed this book! I found it deeply uncomfortable, and June's character was so certain of herself, so certain she was a victim, and it's a book that's made me want to think more critically about every interaction in my day
I was talking to my friend recently about how i watch a lot of video analysis praising video games, musicals, and films but really struggle to find positive content about books that i find engaging. I love literary criticism but i do wish there was more positive analysis. So yeah i understand wanting to breakaway feom the negativity.
I had so much fun reading this book because I Love Drama but also I texted a million screenshots of all of June’s shitty microaggessions to the friend who recc’d it to me bc I couldn’t scream out loud on the bus lmfao. I also found her published name choice hilarious bc I’m biracial Chinese and the surname I use for published work is Song, and so when I read “Juniper Song” I was like HEY STOP STEALING FROM ME SPECIFICALLY. I really like readswithcindy’s critique video though, it pointed out some stuff I didn’t notice in my mad reading blur of OH MY GOD SHE DID NOT. I also think if you liked this you should check out I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto, it’s sort of similarly about an aspiring author who fixates on a woman she had a connection with and then Some Trauma Happened and I cannot say more without spoiling, but it had a similar hypnotic effect on me and has a similarly questionable (?) and layered protagonist.
I'm not going to lie, I'm not the biggest R.F Kwang fan. I don't know if it's her writing style or what but I have a very difficult time enjoying her work which sucks because I want to so bad 😭
I like more positive videos equally, especially if the books you talk about include some negativt in them- like book by this woman who was abused by her ex bf celebrity, or this one having a lot of racism in it. I love good books that show bad shit properly. I also hope you gonna get better and that certain people and problems just leave you alone ❤
Hi all, today I'm doing a super quick review of Rebecca Kuang's novel 'Yellowface'. I'm aware that not everyone likes every aspect of the book and there are some valid criticisms like how it doesn't address class issues or how it doesn't address nepotism in the publishing industry but honestly I need a break from negative stuff. If you've seen my latest video on my second channel, you'll know I'm struggling a lot at the moment plus with some stuff in my personal life that happened this week, I don't really have it in my to be overly critical right now so please just let me focus on the positive in something for once.
If you want negative, I've got another video out soon about the Legally Blonde book in which I compare things I like and dislike about the book and film.
I prefere the more positive reviews where you focus on good books by talented author honestly
I love the positive videos as well! If you're not feeling it at the moment, I'd also love to see other positive or not exactly negative book videos (just normal critique and criticism). That's entertaining and informative to watch!
I love any videos you put out, but i would love to see more positive reviews even if it doesnt get the engagement or views or whatever, it doesnt matter, I just love hearing your thoughts and exponential positivity is something i know i definitely crave
hey, we’ll watch whatever type of content you want to upload because we’re here for you just as much as the content itself. i hope you’re doing okay & that things get better for you!!
I followed you for years but I do not pretend to know you. I am, in a way, in a parasocial relationship with you, so I emphasize that I DO NOT KNOW how you are.
But it's really good seeing you passionate and enthusiastic about a topic. We can all see how this book moves you and fills you with enthusiasm. So it's nice to see you like this.
That said, I hope, all and all, you are doing better, although I don't know you, I still wish you the best ❤
The funny thing is that while I was reading the part about June working on Athena’s draft, I kept thinking damn, in another world, those two could’ve co-authored a bestseller. Or maybe June could’ve been an editor. I mean, she disagreed a lot with Athena’s vision and changed a lot of it because Athena couldn’t defend said vision - but it’s undeniable that June was inspired like hell to work on that draft, she absolutely loved the process. If only there was some humility in her, the willingness to educate herself, she could’ve done something genuinely awesome. I dunno, it felt like maybe her talents lied elsewhere but she was too blinded by jealousy to notice.
I loved the book because I know real authors who are the same as the main character. There are people in my country who took real Chinese novels, stole the premise, made the characters be white with white (or non-Chinese, made out of random sounds) names and still promote their books as "Asian fantasy" alongside the good Chinese novels. And I've spent a few years telling people how disrespectful it is and they are THE SAME AS JUNE. She is infuriating, but racists who refuse to admit they are racist are.
I saw Kuang speak at a book festival about Yellowface and it made me appreciate the crafting that went into writing it. It seems so simplistic and surface level at first, but it was interesting to hear what went into this story. Also, Kuang admits this was a lockdown project, so I think it gave her space to do something different from her previous works. While I enjoyed Yellowface, I read Babel afterwards and absolutely LOVED it. Babel is definitely my favourite of the two (I haven't gotten to the Poppy Wars yet).
As a trauma survivor, there's a tendency towards splitting and self-victimization. Seeing you embrace the nuances of a character is very comforting, as it is a sign of healing. Wishing you all the best
You are glowing, rachel. I am always so interested in your videos. You are always my favourite youtuber. I always look up to you
Absolutely agree with this
10/10 on this
I like this format! Would love to see you do this more often, especially with books you enjoy.
I didn’t dislike this book but I didn’t love it. June was awful! The way she behaved made me equally burn with secondhand embarrassment for how selfish she is and want to shake her for being so foolish and doubling down. The whole story made me so deeply uncomfortable. I think Kuang did a great job of showing the impact of this kind of behaviour.
Chillax dude it’s just a book
i love hearing your passion for good writing! especially if it's easier on you mentally, i'd love to see you talk more about books you enjoy. i really enjoy hearing what you have to say about a lot of things; watching your videos make me feel like im not alone or crazy in this world. thank you
Positive, passionate review from rachel?
Yes, please! 😊
Rachel I have been growing so much from age 17 to 22 now, your videos have helped me so much in these formative years, especially about my feelings about trauma from grooming, as a man it was so hard to find validation and i thank you for opening my eyes just with your words and compassion. Im sorry if this is parasocial behavior, but i just want to put it out there that so many of my opinions and feelings about sooo many things as a teen and now, youve helped me realize im not alone with my views about atheism, etc.
I love positive videos from you, i need a break from negativity too a lot of the time + I am always looking for book recommendations and your positive opinion of a book is very valuable to me
The colour palette of this video is so autumn themed- I don't know if that was intentional, but I love it.
Also, obviously I don't personally know you, but I do also watch your videos on your 2nd channel, and I hope you're in a better emotional/mental frame of mind, that talking about the books you love help cheer you up. You're one of my favourite people to watch on RUclips and I think your videos are always very insightful and empathetic, not to mention educational. You're doing a wonderful job. 🖤
I love this!
Thank you ❤
The Poppy War trilogy and Babel were 5 stars for me but I didn't like this one that much. I saw this review on goodreads and I agree with it "what i expected to be an insightful critique of racism in the publishing industry turned out to be more of a jab at twitter discourse? more than anything, it felt like the author was using the main character to respond to real life criticism she’s received, which isn’t inherently bad, but it made the story feel a bit shallow. i think rfk is an extremely talented writer, which is why my expectations were so high. i just feel like this book had the potential to say so much more, but i finished it thinking, “that’s it?”
Kuang pulling too much from her personal experience is definetly one of the pitfalls of this book. It made it lack the depth it otherwise could've had
I know the negative stuff does better, but I really love watching you gush about stuff you really enjoy. That was what drew me into your channel in the first place! I loved your poetry reviews because of the way you talked about the poems you actually liked!
Rachel I cannot explain how much i love your book and poetry videos
Thanks for sharing your passions with us! I'm always on the hunt for new books, so thank you for the recommendation 💜
Have you read her other series the Poppy War?? If you enjoyed her other works I would say give it a try but look up CW beforehand ! Glad you enjoyed Kuang’s writing ! It’s amazing
For the algorithm, and to add, I appreciate all of your book reviews❣ Thank you❣
It's so refreshing to see you talk about a book that is actually bringing you a smile
Happy to see you back! I was just thinking I haven't seen you post in a little bit. Hope you're taking care of yourself :)
Yes to more videos about the things you love ❤❤
I really appreciate your review of this! I absolutely loved Babel with all the nuance, linguistics, and complex characters, but had heard so many conflicting things about Yellowface. Kuang is brilliant. I’m definitely going to read this one. Thank you!
I like the way you analyze books. It just makes my brain happy.
Oh yes these quick videos about things you’re enjoying are so fun to watch!
This video format/type is just lovely. I'd definitely eat up more of these types of videos if you felt like making them. 💜
Definitely going to look for Rebecca Kuang's books next time I'm at my local bookstore. :)
I also loved this book because of how icky june made me feel with her actions, yet still sympathizing with her in certain moments.
LOVED babel, have you read the poppy war trilogy too? It’s pretty bloody/graphic but so so good
I’ve not but I definitely want to read them soon! :)
i’ve read the poppy war trilogy and yellowface and they both blew me away! rebecca kuang is an amazing writer :)
I absolutely loved the book when I read it, but then I started reading some about the meta-narrative behind the novel and how Juniper was a sort of authorial insert for Kuang in response to criticism she’s received in the past, and it didn’t sit as well with me. The book is, in a sense, written spitefully by Kuang toward actual, specific book reviewers for some pretty valid criticisms they had. The more I looked into it, the more I saw that most of the people who loved the book were white readers, and most of the biggest critics were from readers of Asian descent. I’m not at all saying that anyone should enjoy the book less for this, or even that anyone needs to look into the controversy behind the novel, but I found it enlightening.
babel really is so good and feels incredibly relevant. I love the subtle but effective way that Kuang writes white women. true master of “show, don’t tell.” now I have to go read yellowface!! ty for this video ❤️
I read this book a little while ago and have been recommending it to everyone! It's so good at creating those conflicting feelings. You want her to have consequences, but when she is facing them you aren't sure anymore what they should be.
Note: I explained parts of this book to my partner (who is half Chinese) and OH BOY he was going INSANE. Good to hear more people discuss this book :)
P.S. you're absolutely beautiful today
Oooh I haven't read Yellowface yet so I think I'm going to hold off on this one for now, but I will definitely come back because after reading Babel a few months ago, I am kind of fascinated by R.F. Kuang.
What I liked a lot about yellowface is that it's easy to fall into moralisms when writing racism but in yellow face imo it's more realistic. The protag just doesn't get it that she was indeed bigoted in ways that were influencing how she perceived the world. If the main character realized those things she would realize they are bad and well stop doing it the way she was starting to get close to towards the end. In my opinion while the book is supposedly about the publishing industry I think it's more about communication. It's about what happens when you bash someone who does not have the tools to understand what they did, how that person would grow defensive from it because they understand they did something wrong and how that kinda leads into doom spirals. I really enjoyed the book. I prefered babel's larger overarching perspective instead of just the intercharacter conflict of yellow face but still a great read. I did not like the ending at all tho lmao
i would love to see you review babel but i know it's probably not the kind of video that would do well on your channel though I'm sure you'll have a lot of interesting things to say about it.
Kuang had practice writing an unlikable protagonist in her poppy war trilogy and she's really good at it.
There are a lot of valid criticisms of her work but she has also gotten a lot of criticism that is based in nothing other than racism and poor media literacy so i'm always happy to see people talk about the positives. I really enjoy hearing you talk about books you liked and would love to see more of that if the algorithm gods would allow it
Rachel Oates, great content you deserve more subscribers
I hope this doesn't sound super confusing...
Something that I adore about the experience of watching your videos (& I've been watching since your first video about To Train Up a Child was released) is the way you trigger my empathy & mirroring instincts.
I too am autistic, & I often misunderstand or misinterpret much of the range of emotional expression when communicating with neurotypical people. This is made all the worse by the lack of mutual connection between RUclips content creators & myself.
Your ability to take your feelings of joy, enthusiasm, sense of wonder, shock, sympathy, shame, & deep deep anguish, then transfer them straight into my brain to feel with you is such a satisfying emotional experience.
Thank you for being brave & vulnerable with your emotional expression. It has helped me so much.
Love the book discussions!
I’m definitely gonna read this, the premise is super super interesting. Thanks for reviewing it! I love reading but I struggle to find books that intrigue me so I appreciate it
LOVE LOVE LOVE your bookish videos! You had a lot of insight on yellowface that i didn't have, I've read it too and i agree with a lot of your major points
Great review!! I always love your observations. What I also was thinking randomly while watching and (apparently) just have to say: I think you would look amazing with a short bob. You are so classicly pretty! Keep on making amazing stuff! You cheer up my day!
This is such great timing, I just finished reading Yellowface
Thank you for bringing this books to my attention! I thoroughly enjoyed Babel last year and Yellowface has now gone on my 'to read' list. (I also hadn't come across the Poppy Wars, so thank you to the commenters who mentioned those as well.)
I liked this shorter format & it's great to see you talking about something that makes you smile. All good wishes to you.
I really like this format! Your reviews are so insightful. I liked, didn't love Yellowface, agree with most of your analysis, but would have liked a deeper, less caricature-ish exploration of the publishing/book marketing industry and thought the ending was rushed. But it was certainly very readable. I'm looking forward to picking up Babel.
13:32 I love that conflict. Makes it so interesting.
Nice to see you get to booktube stuff!
Rachel Oates, cool video keep up the great content
I loved "Yellowface" ! It was so well written :)
I bought a copy because it was the pick for the next session of the book club I go to. I got 15 pages in and had to put it down because June is so irritating that I knew I'd never be able to finish it 🤦🏻♀️
Yellowface was the best book I read in 2023! I just recently wrote an analysis essay focusing on the theme of identity in he book for a literary seminar course I was taking.
Totally agreed that this one reminded me of A Novel Obsession!
Ive never read this book yet, I was debating on if I should or shouldn't but now I think I'm going to buy myself the book if when I go to the library tomorrow and cannot find it. Thank you.
14:02 such a real character. You’re right about it being very clever.
I could have sworn this book came out years ago but turns out it's 2023? I wonder what it was I was thinking of.
I hope you're feeling better 🩷 this was a great video. Will definitely give these a read
I just got this book from library , can't wait to read !
I loved this book. It helped me to have a deeper understanding of micro aggressions.
Yay I love your book reviews ☺️🫶
Why are you such an intereseting person that creates unique and or mind stimulating thoughts. love the red hair btw. my respects and greetings.
Love your mushroom shirt 🥰
It’s Fundie Fridays merch, they’re the geniuses behind it :)
As an indigenous 2s woman of turtle island I really want to read this! What a fun way to explore narrators and fun ways of exploring culture and the concept of cultural appropriation
3:21 this is reminding me of how much more western-accessible the movie is for Crazy Rich Asians compared to the book where I kept flipping to the explanatory footnotes. I enjoyed both, but definitely feel the movie was moved closer to me.
Thank you for the this positive review. I recently started another of Kuang's books and was wondering if this one is worth it, and now I'm sold. Also, if books addressed all issues all the time, some of the points would fall flat, so the critiques in your comment are not a deterrant for me
Waiting for a deep dive into a good book you like
I read both Babel and Yellowface earlier this year and devoured them both! Rebecca Kuang is truly a genius and I’m so impressed that she can master two very different genres/styles of writing. I’m now going to read her earlier novel The Poppy War which is apparently a different genre again. I’ll definitely read every book she publishes in the future, she has earned herself a lifelong fan in me. As a white woman myself I pretty much had exactly the same thoughts as you did about Yellowface; I loved to hate June but I also found myself sympathising with her and wishing she wasn’t being harassed. Kuang truly does write with such impressive nuance, June is an awful person but she doesn’t deserve to suffer in the way she does, I found myself feeling sorry for her and almost actually rooting for her to get away with her plagiarism at some parts of the book, which then made me question myself and my own morality, which I’m certain was Kuang’s intention. It reminded me of the character Humbert Humbert in Lolita, he is written as so charming, funny and seemingly honourable and upstanding that at times you find yourself rooting for him, and then you question yourself and feel disgusted with yourself for sympathising with him. That’s truly brilliant writing.
Thanks for another great video Rachel, I sincerely hope you’re doing well.
I was thinking about reading Yellowface, but I was so disappointed with Babel that I am still mad at the author's choices in it 😅Still nice to hear your opinion on it :)
the one thing i’ve heard as a criticism about this book is the treatment of class. as i understand, the author faced some comments regarding her privileged background and seemingly mixed in some of it with june’s racism. it’s not wrong per se, but it leaves a bad taste…
I've just finished reading the book and I definitely agree with you! June's whitewashing and racism is so blatant it made me feel sick at times, as well as her self-pity ... I understand being frustrated with how unfair the publishing industry is, but come on .. what makes this book so special for me is that with the exception of Athena's mother, I disliked every last character pretty much from the first time they appeared- and still, I read it in a few days and loved the story! Sure, Kuang could have adressed class issues more- like the fact that Athena's parents being rich most likely helped her in getting famous- but I still find her story very very intriguing. As an aspiring author myself it should probably scare me away from writing, but somehow it just encouraged me to put even more care and effort into my work to make sure I tell good and honest stories- while also realising that even with all the possible precautions you can take, there is no way any author will ever please absolutely everyone.
I havent watched this yet, but i really enjoyed this book! I found it deeply uncomfortable, and June's character was so certain of herself, so certain she was a victim, and it's a book that's made me want to think more critically about every interaction in my day
I liked the book too!
2:00 this is a very interesting premise that could be very dark…
I think I need to read this book again. I listened to the audiobook on holiday and now I think I might have missed a fair bit of nuance
I was talking to my friend recently about how i watch a lot of video analysis praising video games, musicals, and films but really struggle to find positive content about books that i find engaging.
I love literary criticism but i do wish there was more positive analysis. So yeah i understand wanting to breakaway feom the negativity.
I had so much fun reading this book because I Love Drama but also I texted a million screenshots of all of June’s shitty microaggessions to the friend who recc’d it to me bc I couldn’t scream out loud on the bus lmfao. I also found her published name choice hilarious bc I’m biracial Chinese and the surname I use for published work is Song, and so when I read “Juniper Song” I was like HEY STOP STEALING FROM ME SPECIFICALLY. I really like readswithcindy’s critique video though, it pointed out some stuff I didn’t notice in my mad reading blur of OH MY GOD SHE DID NOT.
I also think if you liked this you should check out I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto, it’s sort of similarly about an aspiring author who fixates on a woman she had a connection with and then Some Trauma Happened and I cannot say more without spoiling, but it had a similar hypnotic effect on me and has a similarly questionable (?) and layered protagonist.
I'm not going to lie, I'm not the biggest R.F Kwang fan. I don't know if it's her writing style or what but I have a very difficult time enjoying her work which sucks because I want to so bad 😭
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Hmmmm, this protagonist sounds just a bit too blood boiling for me, I think I would just get mad being in her head for hours at a time
interesting!
I like more positive videos equally, especially if the books you talk about include some negativt in them- like book by this woman who was abused by her ex bf celebrity, or this one having a lot of racism in it. I love good books that show bad shit properly. I also hope you gonna get better and that certain people and problems just leave you alone ❤
0:14 self-care can help in simplicity.
I really enjoyed it. It made me so fuckin uncomfortable.