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mesal's reviews
572 reviews
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
For the most part, June is an excellent literary device. Her skewed perception of the world around her and her I’m-not-racist racist interpretations of the publishing industry compel readers to see beyond her viewpoint to the truth behind editorial decisions. The writing style—a straightforward, uncomplicated projection of June’s thoughts, a style unique to Kuang’s regular readers—creates a fast-paced, easy read that anyone can get through within a matter of hours. It helps that June’s perspective is so strangely riveting; it is difficult to look away as June insists upon blaming others for her failures, refuses to learn from her mistakes, and descends further and further into a trap that there seems to be no way out of. Sometimes, though, June shows a surprisingly keen awareness of her white privilege—see quote above—that isn’t like her at all, leaving the reader with the impression that such moments are less June and more Kuang, hammering home themes that would not otherwise have fit into June’s willfully blind standpoint at all.
This novel is also a thriller, but not one that’s always very thrilling. Certain parts of it are: the threats to both June’s life and her livelihood; the sightings of ghosts; the ever-present question of whether Athena, perhaps, did not really die. The issue here is that the build-up to the grand reveal and to the final confrontation between June and her challenger is so often disrupted by spiels of information about the industry, or about June’s research into a certain topic, that the atmosphere of suspense and anticipation is perforce dampened, forgotten for several pages at a time. The soft landing of the ending brings to mind important questions about the authenticity of any narrative, and the inevitable result of a he-said-she-said situation in which only one of the two is white, but by the time I was done reading I found myself wishing for more from the novel. There could have been more development with respect to its genre; Kuang could have leaned more into the metafictional aspect of her work, making one question whether June’s unreliability extended even further than one originally believed, perhaps even to the objective “truths” June had so far been directly informing the reader about.
While I might not mind the choice of ending itself, the actual grand reveal fell short of my expectations. Somehow, the thought of Candice just happening to know the person who knew Athena's login details and also managing to convince them to hand over said login details—of a dead woman, of a famous dead woman, of a famous dead woman who had nothing to do with Candice, ever—felt too contrived an answer to the mystery. Kuang stated elsewhere that Candice did not hold such an important role in the original draft of the novel, and from this scene you really can tell.
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
> Buddy read with Fiore, Nucu, and Sarah!
In 1711, Joseph Addison launched his periodical The Spectator with an essay describing himself—childhood, education, occupation, literary tastes—to all his future readers. “I have observed,” he wrote, “that a Reader seldom peruses a Book with Pleasure ’till he knows whether the Writer of it be a black or a fair Man, of a mild or cholerick Disposition, Married or a Batchelor, with other Particulars of the like nature, that conduce very much to the right Understanding of an Author.” Readers even today approach texts based on preconceived notions of their authors, a topic R.F. Kuang acknowledges and at times critiques within her latest metafictional novel. The essence of metafiction, though, is that it constantly draws to attention both medium and creator—and the parallels to Kuang’s own authorial career are too conspicuous to ignore.
Yellowface is an unrelenting Juvenalian satire that targets the inequality and racially motivated biases reflected in the publishing industry’s every decision; it makes use of an unlikeable, unreliable narrator to present to the reader the harsh truths about publishing that said narrator is unwilling or unable to discern. Juniper Song, née June Hayward, is a novelist whose debut disappointed her with its lackluster public reception and pitiful sales. Her fellow novelist and sort-of friend Athena Liu, however, made it big with her own. Now a well-known figure in the industry with several award nominations under her belt and a TV show on the way, Athena symbolizes everything June wishes she could be. Understandably, June is jealous of Athena’s success. So when Athena starts choking to death in front of June’s eyes, she does call 911 for help—but she also makes sure to slip the draft of Athena’s unpublished fourth novel into her bag and take it home.
In 1711, Joseph Addison launched his periodical The Spectator with an essay describing himself—childhood, education, occupation, literary tastes—to all his future readers. “I have observed,” he wrote, “that a Reader seldom peruses a Book with Pleasure ’till he knows whether the Writer of it be a black or a fair Man, of a mild or cholerick Disposition, Married or a Batchelor, with other Particulars of the like nature, that conduce very much to the right Understanding of an Author.” Readers even today approach texts based on preconceived notions of their authors, a topic R.F. Kuang acknowledges and at times critiques within her latest metafictional novel. The essence of metafiction, though, is that it constantly draws to attention both medium and creator—and the parallels to Kuang’s own authorial career are too conspicuous to ignore.
Yellowface is an unrelenting Juvenalian satire that targets the inequality and racially motivated biases reflected in the publishing industry’s every decision; it makes use of an unlikeable, unreliable narrator to present to the reader the harsh truths about publishing that said narrator is unwilling or unable to discern. Juniper Song, née June Hayward, is a novelist whose debut disappointed her with its lackluster public reception and pitiful sales. Her fellow novelist and sort-of friend Athena Liu, however, made it big with her own. Now a well-known figure in the industry with several award nominations under her belt and a TV show on the way, Athena symbolizes everything June wishes she could be. Understandably, June is jealous of Athena’s success. So when Athena starts choking to death in front of June’s eyes, she does call 911 for help—but she also makes sure to slip the draft of Athena’s unpublished fourth novel into her bag and take it home.
The Last Front, which June later reworks and publishes under her own name, explores the part played by Chinese laborers in alliance with Britain and France during World War I, a reality buried by the writers of history. Although Athena certainly isn’t a stand-in for Kuang herself—the author has gone on record stating that Athena is one of her “worst nightmares”—The Last Front and Athena herself, though dead, are shown to receive criticisms similar to those faced by Kuang’s debut trilogy, a military fantasy that draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War. When presented in the mode of satire, from the mouths of racist white women or Twitter accounts eager to be a part of the current conversation without ever looking into the full story, such criticisms appear asinine, meant to be laughed at by Yellowface‘s reader. Some of these opinions certainly deserve the ridicule; others are valid critiques regurgitated in satirical format as if to downplay their significance, making one feel like Kuang is occasionally using her novel as a comeback against those of her reviews she disagrees with.
There are already people out there who think I murdered Athena. If the police found me . . . standing overCandice ’s shattered body—how would I explain that?
A small voice whispers: Easily, that’s how.
For the most part, June is an excellent literary device. Her skewed perception of the world around her and her I’m-not-racist racist interpretations of the publishing industry compel readers to see beyond her viewpoint to the truth behind editorial decisions. The writing style—a straightforward, uncomplicated projection of June’s thoughts, a style unique to Kuang’s regular readers—creates a fast-paced, easy read that anyone can get through within a matter of hours. It helps that June’s perspective is so strangely riveting; it is difficult to look away as June insists upon blaming others for her failures, refuses to learn from her mistakes, and descends further and further into a trap that there seems to be no way out of. Sometimes, though, June shows a surprisingly keen awareness of her white privilege—see quote above—that isn’t like her at all, leaving the reader with the impression that such moments are less June and more Kuang, hammering home themes that would not otherwise have fit into June’s willfully blind standpoint at all.
This novel is also a thriller, but not one that’s always very thrilling. Certain parts of it are: the threats to both June’s life and her livelihood; the sightings of ghosts; the ever-present question of whether Athena, perhaps, did not really die. The issue here is that the build-up to the grand reveal and to the final confrontation between June and her challenger is so often disrupted by spiels of information about the industry, or about June’s research into a certain topic, that the atmosphere of suspense and anticipation is perforce dampened, forgotten for several pages at a time. The soft landing of the ending brings to mind important questions about the authenticity of any narrative, and the inevitable result of a he-said-she-said situation in which only one of the two is white, but by the time I was done reading I found myself wishing for more from the novel. There could have been more development with respect to its genre; Kuang could have leaned more into the metafictional aspect of her work, making one question whether June’s unreliability extended even further than one originally believed, perhaps even to the objective “truths” June had so far been directly informing the reader about.
Yellowface is a persuasive satire, oftentimes purposefully unsubtle with its treatment of the subject matter, but as a novel on the whole it leaves much to be desired. If more attention had been given to its medium, if as much care had gone into curating intrigue and crafting a multidimensional narrative as clearly went into critiquing hypocrisy in publishing, it could well have been excellent.
The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is the very first Mohsin Hamid novel that I've ever read, and I've always been curious to see what his writing style is like, in large part because he's a Pakistani Anglophone novelist who's made it big, but by now I'm assuming this particular novel's style differs greatly from his previous ones, considering it meanders in the stream-of-consciousness manner, which is often difficult to read and often not exactly enjoyable either if you don't expect it, with lengthy sentences covering so many of the characters' thoughts and actions that even one is easily enough to complete a whole paragraph.
In pointed reference to Gregor Samsa's famed metamorphosis over a hundred years ago, The Last White Man explores a world in which, as the book's title suggests, every white person in the world wakes up with brown skin, though the process is not so instantaneous, as the change initially goes unnoticed, with the first people trying to hide the fact that they've woken up in this state, much like Anders himself, our main character who feels as if people who would otherwise recognize him are suddenly distancing themselves from him on account of not being white like themselves, though he wonders to himself if this is actually true or merely a misunderstanding.
Eventually the metamorphosis spreads to other white people and the notion is, after a period of disbelief, given credit by news outlets and governments, although the white population isn't ready to accept these changes so easily, with plenty acting exactly as one would expect of them in such a situation: by arming themselves and policing neighborhoods, those who are still white evicting those who aren't anymore from majority-white neighborhoods, intensifying the racism, researching the change, hoping to fend off what otherwise appears to be inevitable. Hamid's tone of voice in this novel is so sincere that, despite the blurb and the expectations that arise from it, it is difficult to call it satire, as Hamid seems to direct his message not only at the white people that make up his main cast of characters but also at the people of color living in western countries, attempting to assimilate to these societies and often believing themselves successful.
While The Last White Man may overall have been a thought-provoking read, and one I did end up liking by the time I was done with it, my early difficulty with reading it, to the point that I even considered giving up after trudging my way through the first few overcrowded pages, is the reason behind my three-star rating.
In pointed reference to Gregor Samsa's famed metamorphosis over a hundred years ago, The Last White Man explores a world in which, as the book's title suggests, every white person in the world wakes up with brown skin, though the process is not so instantaneous, as the change initially goes unnoticed, with the first people trying to hide the fact that they've woken up in this state, much like Anders himself, our main character who feels as if people who would otherwise recognize him are suddenly distancing themselves from him on account of not being white like themselves, though he wonders to himself if this is actually true or merely a misunderstanding.
Eventually the metamorphosis spreads to other white people and the notion is, after a period of disbelief, given credit by news outlets and governments, although the white population isn't ready to accept these changes so easily, with plenty acting exactly as one would expect of them in such a situation: by arming themselves and policing neighborhoods, those who are still white evicting those who aren't anymore from majority-white neighborhoods, intensifying the racism, researching the change, hoping to fend off what otherwise appears to be inevitable. Hamid's tone of voice in this novel is so sincere that, despite the blurb and the expectations that arise from it, it is difficult to call it satire, as Hamid seems to direct his message not only at the white people that make up his main cast of characters but also at the people of color living in western countries, attempting to assimilate to these societies and often believing themselves successful.
While The Last White Man may overall have been a thought-provoking read, and one I did end up liking by the time I was done with it, my early difficulty with reading it, to the point that I even considered giving up after trudging my way through the first few overcrowded pages, is the reason behind my three-star rating.
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
righteous irish anger is always a vibe
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Volume 1 by 싱숑, sing N song
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I've read books about writers; I've read books about readers; I've read webnovels about writers and readers entering the worlds they wrote or read about, subsequently attempting to survive within said worlds. Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint was the first such novel I read where the reader, even after entering the world of his favorite novel, remained a reader. Kim Dokja doesn't get hit by a truck and wake up in someone else's body; he doesn't become the protagonist or antagonist or even a forgotten side character of his beloved Ways of Survival, an event far too common in other stories of the same genre. The novel he reads comes to life around him, and he attempts to use his knowledge gathered through years of reading it in order not only to stay alive but also to reach his desired conclusion.
Though for the most part Dokja's progression in skills is pretty balanced—he starts off with the poorest physique on the planet, and has to spend a significant amount of time and money to level himself up—his unreliable narrative style can get a bit annoying. He knows everything that will happen in the future but refuses to share it with us readers (if you think this is metafiction, wait till you read the series ending), choosing instead to act uninformed in front of both us and the characters he's trying to fool until the very last second. After the first few "Aha!" moments, it starts to get a bit tired. Regardless, he's a very fun protagonist (God, this review is hard to write) to read from the perspective of, since he isn't morally averse to making decisions that upright personalities would try to avoid; his stance contrasts sharply with those of characters like Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah, who remain optimistic that they can survive all the scenarios without killing or harming anyone.
Yoo Joonghyuk, the actual protagonist of Dokja's favorite webnovel, features far less than I expected. He's often mentioned in passing as pursuing hidden scenarios and acquiring items, but his actual presence in the vicinity of our narrator comes only occasionally. Nevertheless, the dynamic between the two—one having read about the other for the past twelve years of his life, the other not recognizing this new player in a game he believed he knew best—is enjoyable to explore and read about, particularly with the author's commentary on contemporary consumption of media underlying every interaction.
The novel's choppy translation had me wavering about continuing during the first several chapters, but the plot, characterization, and worldbuilding were all strong enough to keep me going until I got used to the translation style and could immerse myself fully in the narrative.
Though for the most part Dokja's progression in skills is pretty balanced—he starts off with the poorest physique on the planet, and has to spend a significant amount of time and money to level himself up—his unreliable narrative style can get a bit annoying. He knows everything that will happen in the future but refuses to share it with us readers (if you think this is metafiction, wait till you read the series ending), choosing instead to act uninformed in front of both us and the characters he's trying to fool until the very last second. After the first few "Aha!" moments, it starts to get a bit tired. Regardless, he's a very fun protagonist (God, this review is hard to write) to read from the perspective of, since he isn't morally averse to making decisions that upright personalities would try to avoid; his stance contrasts sharply with those of characters like Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah, who remain optimistic that they can survive all the scenarios without killing or harming anyone.
Yoo Joonghyuk, the actual protagonist of Dokja's favorite webnovel, features far less than I expected. He's often mentioned in passing as pursuing hidden scenarios and acquiring items, but his actual presence in the vicinity of our narrator comes only occasionally. Nevertheless, the dynamic between the two—one having read about the other for the past twelve years of his life, the other not recognizing this new player in a game he believed he knew best—is enjoyable to explore and read about, particularly with the author's commentary on contemporary consumption of media underlying every interaction.
The novel's choppy translation had me wavering about continuing during the first several chapters, but the plot, characterization, and worldbuilding were all strong enough to keep me going until I got used to the translation style and could immerse myself fully in the narrative.
What the Dead Know by Nghi Vo
medium-paced
4.0
I really liked the premise and the style of writing, though part of the unraveled mystery went right over my head. Interested in reading more of Nghi Vo's works after this!
Persephone by Lev Grossman
fast-paced
3.0
Fascinating how, several years later, I still don't particularly feel moved by this author's works. At least this time I know I'm not the target audience, though.
The Garden by Tomi Adeyemi
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
This would have been infinitely better had the author chosen to focus more of her attention on the actual content of the story rather than its form. The poetry did nothing for me; the poetry-within-prose was a small delight to discover, though it had little (properly explored) material behind it.
Dune by Frank Herbert
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Shocking: this critically acclaimed, genre-defining novel loved by millions around the world is actually good!
The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This isn't the first Alix E. Harrow work I've picked up, and it appears she has delivered once again. Short stories are one of the very few written mediums where an author can get away with this much imagery and emotion packed into each word, being designed to evoke feeling within a very short time frame; if one attempted the same writing style with a full-length novel, it would turn out overbearing.
Dark Mind by Val Neil
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to BookSirens as well as the author for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Full review on my blog here!
Dark Mind is by far more uncomfortable to read than its prequel. A large part of this is due to the increased depictions of violence—people not willing to read too much of graphic violence and gore should probably think twice before buying this book, because there's plenty to be had—but another important reason is the heavy focus on the era's social evils. One begins the novel thinking it'll reproduce the same atmosphere as Dark Apprentice, with an undercurrent of humor running through several scenes and tying them together, but this novel runs in a completely different direction. There's still an abundance of humor, clearly an integral feature of the writing style and particularly refreshing when contrasted with the darker themes being explored; the change lies in the center of attention shifting solidly to those themes. At certain points during my read I was afraid Dark Mind would skew too heavily into the category of books whose writers feel compelled to comment on everything from racism to misogyny to ableism occurring within a specific time frame, believing it paramount to delineating what it was like to live during that time. This book does toe that line, but ultimately it ensures such discussions are incorporated seamlessly into the plot so that they're given a purpose as well as direction for future novels in the series.
Which brings me to another way Dark Mind differs from its predecessor: there is a structured plot. Granted, that plot still progresses at a slow pace, but there's much more going on than just Nikolai's training. Elements from the first book left largely unexplored are expanded upon in this one, tying up some loose ends while also creating questions so that readers look forward to their answers in the next installment. More plot does not equal less character exposition, though: the relationship between Nikolai and Medea, and the way in which they understand and misunderstand each other, is given special attention; a whole cast of new characters is also introduced, giving the reader more people to root for or despise.
Something I'm not sure I concur with is the amount of what reads as self-defense in the author notes. Certain things definitely need to be said, considering the amount of criticism regularly directed at writers who misrepresent categories of people to which they themselves do not belong; however, there's plenty that can be understood without it having to be stated outright. In my opinion, a story should be able to stand on its own weight and work as its own defense, which I believe Dark Mind has been able to do relatively successfully without the accompaniment of the surplus explanation.
Overall, I've had an excellent time reading this series as far as it has currently progressed, and have been (and will continue) recommending it to all adult dark fantasy enthusiasts.
Full review on my blog here!
Dark Mind is by far more uncomfortable to read than its prequel. A large part of this is due to the increased depictions of violence—people not willing to read too much of graphic violence and gore should probably think twice before buying this book, because there's plenty to be had—but another important reason is the heavy focus on the era's social evils. One begins the novel thinking it'll reproduce the same atmosphere as Dark Apprentice, with an undercurrent of humor running through several scenes and tying them together, but this novel runs in a completely different direction. There's still an abundance of humor, clearly an integral feature of the writing style and particularly refreshing when contrasted with the darker themes being explored; the change lies in the center of attention shifting solidly to those themes. At certain points during my read I was afraid Dark Mind would skew too heavily into the category of books whose writers feel compelled to comment on everything from racism to misogyny to ableism occurring within a specific time frame, believing it paramount to delineating what it was like to live during that time. This book does toe that line, but ultimately it ensures such discussions are incorporated seamlessly into the plot so that they're given a purpose as well as direction for future novels in the series.
Which brings me to another way Dark Mind differs from its predecessor: there is a structured plot. Granted, that plot still progresses at a slow pace, but there's much more going on than just Nikolai's training. Elements from the first book left largely unexplored are expanded upon in this one, tying up some loose ends while also creating questions so that readers look forward to their answers in the next installment. More plot does not equal less character exposition, though: the relationship between Nikolai and Medea, and the way in which they understand and misunderstand each other, is given special attention; a whole cast of new characters is also introduced, giving the reader more people to root for or despise.
Something I'm not sure I concur with is the amount of what reads as self-defense in the author notes. Certain things definitely need to be said, considering the amount of criticism regularly directed at writers who misrepresent categories of people to which they themselves do not belong; however, there's plenty that can be understood without it having to be stated outright. In my opinion, a story should be able to stand on its own weight and work as its own defense, which I believe Dark Mind has been able to do relatively successfully without the accompaniment of the surplus explanation.
Overall, I've had an excellent time reading this series as far as it has currently progressed, and have been (and will continue) recommending it to all adult dark fantasy enthusiasts.