Interior Chinatown
15 journalers for this copy...
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This book recently won the US National Book Award and came to my attention because it is on the shortlist of the Tournament of Books, an event I follow closely every year. I loved it and think it deserves all the accolades it has received.
The book is a satire about an American actor living in Chinatown who always gets cast for roles such as Generic Asian Man or Dead Asian Man but who dreams of eventually becoming Kung Fu Guy. Yu specifically explores the challenges and stereotypes that Asian Americans face, but I believe the ideas are relevant to the immigrant experience in general.
I have chosen this book for the Favourite Book of 2020 Roundabout. I hope the other participants will find the book a thought-provoking and entertaining read and not find the unusual format too strange!
The book is a satire about an American actor living in Chinatown who always gets cast for roles such as Generic Asian Man or Dead Asian Man but who dreams of eventually becoming Kung Fu Guy. Yu specifically explores the challenges and stereotypes that Asian Americans face, but I believe the ideas are relevant to the immigrant experience in general.
I have chosen this book for the Favourite Book of 2020 Roundabout. I hope the other participants will find the book a thought-provoking and entertaining read and not find the unusual format too strange!
Here is the reading order for the roundabout:
1. Math-Girl40 Canada
2. Mcsar Canada
3. Valpete USA
4. Icila France
5. Paulanni Finland
6. grovalskii Germany
7. Fifna Netherlands
8. Dark-Draco UK
9. Cross-Patch UK
10. Earthcaroleanne UK
11. Poodlesister UK
12. greenbadger UK
1. Math-Girl40 Canada
2. Mcsar Canada
3. Valpete USA
4. Icila France
5. Paulanni Finland
6. grovalskii Germany
7. Fifna Netherlands
8. Dark-Draco UK
9. Cross-Patch UK
10. Earthcaroleanne UK
11. Poodlesister UK
12. greenbadger UK
This book is on its way to mcsar now.
The book is with me. This looks like a great start to another year of favourites.
Thanks for sharing another good find on this roundabout. I love the unusual format and think it clever. The author handles the identity crisis of the immigrant in good humour without losing insight. Some of the lines are so true it is painful to read.
Finally on its way to valpete. Enjoy!
Received. I haven't heard of this one. Look forward to reading it!
I found the style of this book to be distracting. It certainly gave me some keen insights to the plight of immigrants. It's off to Icila. Enjoy!
And here it is with a fellow whishlist book, thank you valpete !
I read it like a screenplay. I think I saw the point.
On its way to Paulanii in Finland along with mcsar's book.
Journal Entry 13 by 
Paulanni
at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Both books arrived safely today, after a slow travel. This is new to me, and I look forward to reading it.
Journal Entry 14 by Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Sunday, June 13, 2021
Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Sunday, June 13, 2021
Released 1 yr ago (6/13/2021 UTC) at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
This book left me with mixed feelings. I found it first a bit hard to engage in the story as I had difficulties in hopping between movie parts and real life of the actors. But it got easier and better when I got to the section where the Taiwanese immigrants shared their life stories. The structure was challenging for me, but I did like the mixing of prose and drama. Some of the insights were poignant, and I had never before thought of the issues of Asian immigrants in the black and white world.
All in all, I am glad to have read the book. Another one I doubt I would have stumbled on if it had not been offered in the Roundabout.
Off it goes to grovalskii.
All in all, I am glad to have read the book. Another one I doubt I would have stumbled on if it had not been offered in the Roundabout.
Off it goes to grovalskii.
Another book in the roundabout! This one looks different. The font alone tells me it won't be a "normal" book. :) Looking forward to reading this!
Absolutely loved the book! What an ingenious way to tell the story. To me, the format of the movie script drove the point home even more. The attempt to become a certain person/get a certain part in the script, the point that once you got that part, it's not really what you thought it would be, the fact that if you don't look like the rest you get put into a certain box, I thought it was a very fitting way to convey the meaning. In the end, this is the story of Chinese Americans, but it could be translated to any immigrants in any nation. Very appropriate subject for our time and age. Thank you mathgirl40 for sharing!
Oh oops, forgot to journal that I put the book in the mail a couple of days ago. It should already be almost at Fifna's place. :)
And it's here. Thanks, grovalskii!
Both funny and sad, and a good way to get people to think about how immigrants are treated. The screenplay format sometimes grated a little, but it was such a good device to show how the lines between the characters lives and the roles they played blurred. A good pick for the roundabout - thanks for sharing!
On its way to dark-draco.
Received … thank you.
Journal Entry 22 by dark-draco at Ledbury, Herefordshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Hmmm. Well, you can't say that this author isn't original. The tone and style of this book is like nothing I've ever read before, even if the themes have been. But the humour in which Yu approaches it has to make you smile, even if you are not from the culture he so intimately describes. The sterotyping of 'Asian Guy' into a few cast roles in life/fictional TV shows, is instantly recognisable (although, I would argue, that if you take this on face value as being about acting, then all wannabe actors probably go through the same sort of roles) - with Kung Fu Guy being the ultimate ambition that any young man should aim for. And 'Black and White' is everything that is wrong with a lot of mainstream TV and Movies.
Overall, an enjoyable, humourous read with a not so subtle 'message'.
Overall, an enjoyable, humourous read with a not so subtle 'message'.
Journal Entry 23 by dark-draco at Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Released 1 yr ago (9/14/2021 UTC) at Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Off to the next reader in the roundabout
Journal Entry 24 by Cross-patch at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, September 18, 2021
Cross-patch at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, September 18, 2021
This was a surprise arrival, right on the tail of mcsar’s book that I have just started to read - quite small print, so I will have to take my time!
Journal Entry 25 by Cross-patch at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Cross-patch at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 6, 2021
What a refreshing approach. Totally enjoyable. Thank you for offering it as part of this Roundabout.
Journal Entry 26 by Cross-patch at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Cross-patch at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Released 1 yr ago (10/6/2021 UTC) at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Ready for its next reader.
Arrived yesterday. Thank you.
Sorry, this was too strange for me. I really didn't enjoy either the story or the writing.
Journal Entry 29 by 
earthcaroleanne
at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, December 5, 2021
earthcaroleanne at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, December 5, 2021
Released 1 yr ago (12/7/2021 UTC) at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sending on in the roundabout.
Journal Entry 30 by Poodlesister at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, December 9, 2021
Poodlesister at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, December 9, 2021
Arrived with a box of Christmas presents!
Journal Entry 31 by Poodlesister at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, January 28, 2022
Poodlesister at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, January 28, 2022
I loved this. What a clever way to make a point and I found it funny and moving. It took me a while to get round to reading this but I have read it in a couple of days.
Journal Entry 32 by Poodlesister at Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Friday, January 28, 2022
Poodlesister at Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Friday, January 28, 2022
Released 1 yr ago (1/28/2022 UTC) at Book Roundabout , -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
This will travel to greenbadger soonish (next trip to post office) for its last stop on the roundabout. It will have a wishlist tag book for company.
Journal Entry 33 by greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 5, 2022
greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 5, 2022
It's with me, thank you.
This sounds like something I will enjoy!
This sounds like something I will enjoy!
Journal Entry 34 by greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 12, 2022
greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 12, 2022
This is a really original way to tell a story about race and assimilation. Willis Wu is Generic Asian Man, with becoming Kung Fu Guy the peak of his ambitions, in the police drama Black and White. Much of what this is saying isn't new to me - I've read articles before about how east Asian immigrants are stereotyped, with the women being the over-sexualised Pretty Oriental Flower and the men almost being portrayed as the opposite. It must be incredibly difficult and frustrating to live with. The most shocking thing was the American laws and how recently the restrictions on Chinese immigrants had been lifted. I was also reminded of the wonderful Chinese servant Lee in East of Eden, who finds when he loses his accent no one can understand him at all. On the other hand, I work in the tech sector with quite a lot of east Asian colleagues, I recently had an operation done by an awesome Chinese surgeon, one of my favourite fitness instructors is Chinese. I hope that means that more roles are starting to become available and that representation is getting better. An excellent and thought-provoking read.
Journal Entry 35 by greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 4, 2022
greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Released 1 yr ago (5/4/2022 UTC) at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sent to estelle1806 as my RABCK for April.
Thank you for sharing this wish-list book, greenbadger, looking forward to reading it with all these good reviews...
Travelling to bookfrogster as part of the Wishlist Tag Game, enjoy!
Please let us know when you release it again...
Please let us know when you release it again...
This is now in Edinburgh. Thank you estelle1806. I'm excited to read this one.
I really enjoyed this. I liked the way that you weren't quite sure what was a film and what was real life. Bits made me really laugh and other parts were sad and moving. I definitely want to read more by this author. Thanks for sharing this one.
Ooh. Hadn't realised this book was so well travelled. Looks intriguing.
Caught at Old Gang Meetup - thank you
Caught at Old Gang Meetup - thank you
