If you like ‘Yellowface’... you’ll love this

Editor’s Note: RF Kuang’s ‘Yellowface’ had all of us (readers) and the publishing industry on edge. A pilfered  novel ,literary ambition, machinations of publishing—it had everything! Here are eight other literary gems about the perils and pleasures of the literary world. We’ve done similar lists in this fun format for ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Intermezzo’.

Written by: Sneha Pathak is a freelance writer and translator. Her works have appeared in The Telegraph, Deccan Herald, Strange Horizons, and The Chakkar. You can follow her on Instagram. 

I remember the way I read RF Kuang’s novel ‘Yellowface’—I raced through it almost breathlessly in a few sittings. I was so lost in the world of its protagonist, June Hayward, and her machinations as she climbed the heights of literary stardom using—spoiler alert!—the manuscript of her dead frenemy Athena Liu after Liu’s death, that I both wanted to know what was coming next and didn’t want the book to end. If you too, like me, enjoyed the twists and turns of this novel that explores many themes and ideas along with a page-turner of a plot, and enjoy reading books about writers, writing and/or of characters surviving in those moral grey areas, here is a list of eight books that might interest you.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz: The book tells the story of Jacob Finch Bonner, who was once a literary star, but his pen seems to have run out of ink long since. He is now teaching at an MFA program to make ends meet and it’s there that he hears the fantastic plot idea of one of his students, Evan Parker. Jacob is sure that the novel will shoot Parker to literary heights. But when it doesn’t appear and Jacob learns that Parker died without ever having written the book, he decides to use the plot. Jacob turns into the literary world’s darling again, but soon the letters start—letters which proclaim that they know what Jacob did. And thus starts the true game. Intense and gripping, ‘The Plot’ is immensely readable. And it even has a sequel, titled ‘The Sequel’!

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne: This is a rather unflattering portrait of a writer and the world of writers in general. It tells the story of Maurice Swift, who is both ambitious and ruthless. He wants to be a successful writer and knows that he will have to rely on something more than the little talent that he has to get what he desires. So he does what he has to do to reach the pinnacle—he borrows and he steals other people's stories not caring who he hurts in the process, both literally and figuratively. Narrated from the points of view of the many people whose lives intersect with Maurice's and finally Maurice himself, ‘A Ladder to the Sky,’ takes a protagonist who is difficult to like, but whose story Boyne ensures you won't stop reading midway. 

Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews: This is a story that has shades of Patricia Highsmith’s ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’. The novel is a character study of two women—the elusive writer who writes under the pseudonym Maud Dixon and Florence Darrow, her assistant, who believes she has the talent needed to reach the top of the literary world. The action in the book takes place mostly in Marrakesh, where Florence suddenly gets the chance to ‘become’ Maud Dixon after an accident. But is it ever so simple to slip into someone else’s identity, even someone whom the world knows only through their writings? ‘Who is Maud Dixon?’ attempts to answer this question and takes its readers on an intense ride that will compel you to read non-stop till you turn that last page.     

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris: This is a work which defies narrative expectations. It’s a workplace story and a slow burn mystery with elements of speculative fiction thrown in. Nella works at Wagner Books, a major publishing house, and is the only black woman working there. When another black woman, Hazel, joins the staff, Nella is thrilled and hopes to be friends with her. But is there something about Hazel which feels…off? Or is it only Nella’s jealousy because Hazel seems to achieve in a very short time what Nella hasn’t been able to in an entire year? And what about the notes that Nella begins to receive, the ones that ask her to leave Wagner? A book that will force you to want to know exactly what is going on, The Other Black Girl has the potential to make you think about it for a long time. 

Less by Andrew Greer: It tells the story of Arthur Less, a still-flailing writer who is on the cusp of turning fifty. To make matters worse, his love-life is in tatters and the love of his life, Robert, is not only successful but is also getting married to someone else. To escape attending the wedding, and to find a semblance of order in his life, Less accepts the invitations to various literary events that take him on tour to countries like Germany, India, France, Morocco, Italy and Japan. And as he travels, Less and the readers both gradually see the man behind this façade, and through a series of adventures and misadventures, they discover the individual hiding behind the persona of the failed author. A book that has the capacity to warm your heart, ‘Less’ was the winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Colored Television by Danzy Senna: This is the story of Jane and Lenny, a mixed-race couple who are struggling financially. Lenny is an artist and Jane is working on an ambitious writing project which she hopes will be the making of her. But when her manuscript has no takers and Jane turns to writing for TV in sheer desperation, success finally seems to be coming her way. There is just one small problem—the idea she pitched to the television guys isn’t her own; it originated from a dear friend who also writes for television. As the novel progresses, Jane finds herself more and more embroiled in the web of lies she has created to achieve success. A novel that has been described on Goodreads as a “dark comedy about second acts, creative appropriation, and the racial identity-industrial complex”, ‘Colored Television’ is a book of our times.

I’m Not Done with You Yet by Jesse Q Sutanto: Sutanto might be most well known for her cosy mysteries like ‘Dial A for Aunties,’ but she also writes books in a darker shade, like ‘I’m Not Done with You Yet.’ This is a story of success, of friendship, of obsession, and its results. Jane and Thalia were close friends in college, until a night’s events created a rift between them. Now, years later, Jane is a middling writer with a middling life who has lost contact with Thalia. But when Jane sees Thalia’s name at the top of the NY Times Bestseller list, she decides it’s time to renew their friendship, whatever the cost. Her decision has far-reaching consequences and the unspooling of her life-trajectory from this point onwards make it impossible for the reader to stop reading the book, given how it twists and turns.

The Most Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr: Translated from the French, ‘The Most Secret Memory of Men’ is a searing, coming of age story of a young writer as well as a meditation upon writers and writing. When upcoming Senegalese writer Diégane Latyr Faye discovers a book titled ‘The Labyrinth of Inhumanity’, he has the burning desire to learn more about the book’s author who, surrounded by various rumours, dropped out of public eye soon after its publication. As Faye sets on the road to discover the truth behind what happened to the book’s writer, he also undertakes a journey within, a journey that takes him to the heart of his own self and helps him see himself and the world around him with new eyes. A very powerful novel, ‘The Most Secret Memory of Men’ should be on your TBR list.