C
Charles YuFiction · Science Fiction·b. 1976
Interior Chinatown
Synopsis
Willis Wu lives a life scripted by the roles he's forced to play, from his cramped Chinatown apartment to the set of a fictional TV show. He dreams of being more than just an extra, but his journey to find his own identity uncovers the hidden history of his community and family. This novel explores race, assimilation, and the struggle to break free from stereotypes.
How it reads
Prose complexity 7/10
- I didn't expect the screenplay layout going into this book, but it kind of fits with the message the author is putting across. The main character and other people in INT. CHINATOWN are just playing roles typecast by society which they have then stuck by, not realising that they can be more than that. Despite almost 200 years since setting foot on America, Asians are still segregated by that phrase - ‘Asian'. It's interesting to consider the truth that when you are asked to describe an American, it is a generalised white person. A book that everyone should read, despite it's odd format. Understandably, it won't be for everyone but it hit home with me due to my own background and race. “Who gets to be an American? What does an American look like?”
- Charles Yu is one of the writers of Westworld. I wanted to read this book for a long time. This book was February month pick for PBS Newshour bookclub, I decided to read it with them. It has a fresh narrative, it's funny, dramatic and subtle in bringing up the topic of race. The scenario was very relatable, the hardships and struggles feels very real. It's thought provoking and mind opening to racial discrimination that happens unconsciously.
- An interesting look into the business of acting and the way that people are both helped and hindered by their surroundings along the way. Funny, insightful and a joy to read overall. Plays heavily into stereotypes and tropes for storytelling.