I just read the first chapter of Yellowface and yeah, I didn't get the vibe that it'll be anything other than explaining the problems with publishing. It's probably one of those things where the author had an idea for a discussion and tried to figure out how to turn it into a story rather than having an idea for a story first. That being said, I am intrigued and I don't mind learning about the ins and outs of the industry, so I think I'll enjoy it overall. Whale sounds super good and has been on my radar, you just convinced me to get it *cries*
@shiningyoonie
Жыл бұрын
you nailed it on the head! Yellowface felt exactly like that to me. The writing was very YA-like, super simple and straight-forward, sometimes it felt even clumsy and juvenile. There were a lot of explanations and slogans being poured down your head haha I appreciate the themes, but they definitely needed stronger execution.
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
Fully agree that Yellowface was a discussion first and novel second-from what I’ve seen it seems the author has put a lot of personal interactions directly into the book, so you can tell the intent is very: “did you know this happens???” And I wish you the best of luck with Whale-it’s a whole lot of dark and a whole lot of book, so it can be tough at times, but I think it was worth it in the end.
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
@@shiningyoonie admittedly on my end, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about the publishing industry that I’ve found successful 😅 so maybe they’re all doomed from the start? Who knows.
@livforreading
Жыл бұрын
I largely enjoyed Yellowface and think it was certainly bold but I very much so agree with many of your points here!! Quite an audacious topic to take on and I certainly was questioning what audiences would most appreciate it - many of us chronically online readers who pay attention to issues of diversity are not at all shocked by these “revelations” but also I’d imagine a casual reader would not be much into how deeply Kuang dives into the minutiae of publishing. Loved your commentary on all of these!!
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
I try not to read reviews before posting my own, so now that this video is live I definitely want to hunt down people who’ve read it to see their takes. I think I often forget how niche publishing is as a topic? Like… most people don’t read books for fun-I have just surrounded myself with a community of people who do. So stepping outside that world is always interesting!
@RoisinsReading
Жыл бұрын
I’m not a dystopian girlie but you’ve made Chain Gang All-Stars sound very intriguing. Also super interesting thoughts on yellow face, not read it but of course seen it everywhere
@nathansnook
Жыл бұрын
currently reading Whale right now and LOVING IT! breezing through it and am enjoying the textures Cheon has developed in such a plotty book.
@yenasung
Жыл бұрын
Omg i gotta check out the lauren graham! I feel bad about my neck is one of my fav books that i recently reread via audiobook and hearing her read it is so nostalgic and magical, like having an aunt who’s *lived* and tells you all her stories like an aunty sheherazade. I’m so excited to read whale this year too, it’s on my summer tbr!!! After 2yrs of talking to camera i still have no idea what im doing/saying on booktube and just hope for the best come editing time. But it’s been fun to incoherently ramble and miraculously have ppl resonate and interact ✨💛 have a great summer and happy reading 🌻
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
Nothing more satisfying than when you finish editing a portion of a video and think, “oh neat! That actually made sense!!” Hahaha And I hope you like the Lauren Graham-I’m so charmed by her. And Whale is definitely dark and difficult (subject matter-wise) to read, but I think totally worthwhile ☺️🐳
@anothergreatetcetera
Жыл бұрын
I just came back to Munich from a trip to New York where I saw Yellowface prominently displayed in every single bookstore I went to, but never felt super compelled to pick it up. (I think the cover might just be a bit too on the nose for me?) Your review of it was so good and nuanced and made me feel better about my decision 😅 Also super interesting to hear you talk about the syntax in translations from Korean. When translating English into German, that's one thing to be super wary of because German is just so unforgiving when it comes to samey syntax. Immediately makes a text sound like a robot. Saying that, I'm now very interested to pick up the English translation of Whale!
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
I would be very curious to know how Yellowface is received outside of the US! A lot of it feels so contingent on American publishing/social politics? Regardless, I actually think the cover is pretty bold! I mean, definitely skews YA, but I always find it interesting when publishers go in for negative space on covers. And if you do pick it up, I hope you enjoy Whale! It’s definitely super dark and violent, fair warning, but I really liked it ☺️
@SavidgeReads
Жыл бұрын
Vroom Vroom indeed. You’ve sold Chain Gang All-Stars to me. I got a proof and wasn’t sure. Now totally intrigued. And interested in your Yellowface take.
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
Chain Gang All Stars is a real treat for sure! And thank you ❤
@beckycanty
Жыл бұрын
Loved hearing you discuss whale!! I was interested in it initially but I heaed some criticism for it about misogyny and violence against women which put me off, but thw way you just described it seems like a book I would love. So conflicted about whether I should pick it up or not.
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
There is definitely both misogyny and violence against women in the book, but I don’t think without condemnation of those who commit it. I think it could in many ways be difficult to read. But in no way do I feel the author is just torturing characters for funsies or due to his own possible misogyny.
@Phillybookfairy
Жыл бұрын
Oooh Whale!!!! I’ve been going back and forth about whether I want to read this or not, thanks for pushing me over the edge of yes! 😊
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
It’s a tough but I think worthwhile read! I’ve seen that a lot of people don’t like it, which was surprising to me, but I’m happy to be out here enjoying 😌💕
@1book1review
Жыл бұрын
Hearing your thoughts on Yellowface was so interesting (I really need to learn more words for what I want to say). I have heard the book described as Satire and Thriller by now, and can't see either. I listened to the audiobook and found it highly captivating, so flew through it. I personally didn't mind the excurses on publishing, so maybe it is you more than the book due to your background knowledge. However, I found myself wondering how interesting all of the bookish online drama and publishing insights were to the readers who are not involved in the bookish online world and haven't heard of the twitter dramas and cancellations. Or might not even get the reference to American Dirt. I honestly don't know if this book wanted to really make a stand or just introduce more people to that side of publishing and push the conversation out of its niche into a different direction.
@thelefthandedreader6632
Жыл бұрын
I read Yellowface and can relate to the prat fall contrivances of it. It’s an interesting one for RF Kuang to have written. I delighted in it because I enjoyed the publishing world scenes. You’re so good at articulating aspects that , upon hearing, I say “oh, yes” 😊
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
I try not to look at reviews while reading or even before I post content about what I read, so I’m excited to go around and get some more takes on Yellowface-I definitely want to know how people outside of the publishing or even bookish world are experiencing it.
@ChaoticBibliophile
Жыл бұрын
Omg you’re the first person who’s gushed about Whale that I’ve seen!! I was starting to get a little nervous though I bought it already haha now I can’t wait to pick it up!
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
Haha yeah it wasn’t until after I finished it and started reading other reviews that I realized responses were so mixed/negative 😅🤷🏼♂️ but I really thought it was special. Darkness and all.
@jacquelinemcmenamin8204
Жыл бұрын
Looking great Matthew 🤗 Always great to see a video from you . 🍀👋☘️☕️📖📕📚💐
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!!! ☺️💕
@jamesstansfield917
Жыл бұрын
Vroom vroom! Love the energy in this video. 📒💛⭐🟡
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
Cars making loud noises is one of my least favorite things 😌🎶
@DrewynDidds72
Жыл бұрын
Keep up the excellent work Matthew and i went on ahead and subscribed to your channel! :D
@bookishsabrina
Жыл бұрын
Much agree with Yellowface! It could have really gone there, but it sort of just pointed at the problems but didn't say anything interesting about them? I know I mentioned this elsewhere, but if you pay attention to books or publishing at all none of this will be remotely shocking and therefore I do not see the point if it's not really doing anything other than stating facts about the fucked-upedness of publishing. It's definitely soured for me a lot upon reflection because it was a fun and compelling ride, but I did feel many times I thought she was going to go deeper or saw hints of really interesting points that went nowhere. I need to stop reading RF Kuang because each of the books of hers I've read lacked the depth I really wanted, be it commentary or character.
@zan8152
Жыл бұрын
Your discussion of Yellowface definitely hit on a lot of the problems I had with Babel, and I think 'she's smarter than this book' (if mean perhaps) sums it up nicely - Babel does much the same thing (it sounds like) for the world of Colonialism via English Colleges. It's a YA harry potter riff with hijinks and mayhem right alongside Very Serious Footnotes (tm) about the real history and all the research she's done... and I don't quite get it. All this work and time to... regurgitate all the research you did, to people who mostly already know and agree with you. Or so it seems to me. Maybe that's also mean. I wanted to hope Yellowface would be better, but it sounds like doubling down, I'll skip. ANYHOW, Chain-Gang All Stars sounds excellent and that's going on my list immediately, ty ty ty.
@charlieuliginosa2494
Жыл бұрын
Matthew? Where have you gone? You are missed, hope you are safe & well.
@SM-vr8dz
Жыл бұрын
I couldn’t get on with the writing of Yellowface. It was written like a YA novel. I’m also SO over novels about the publishing industry. It always seems so self-involved😅. Her details about publishing felt like a lack of imagination and served as a lot of filler, imho.
@spexi513
11 ай бұрын
📖 🪱 💚
@bookofdust
Жыл бұрын
The trope of an artist steals other artist’s work as their own when first artist dies accidentally in their presence, for me isn’t that exciting to begin with and I find it tiresome and uncreative, but what you would have to do bending over backwards in this day and age of hyper technology and the digital footprint to make it possible that nobody (agent, publisher, writer’s group, lover, family, best friend, unknown secret confidante) else knows about it and you do to pull it off seems so unlikely and impossible that it doesn’t seem like a plausible possibility in this day and age and I would spend my whole time reading it with a fine tooth comb as why it doesn’t hold up. I can’t see myself buying into the suspended belief I would need to enjoy it?
@MatthewSciarappa
Жыл бұрын
Admittedly I was more than willing to suspend my disbelief for that trophy setup-like, theoretically the rest of the book should fall into place after that especially if it’s trying to make commentary about the industry more than it is artistry. But alas… 🤷🏼♂️
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