Exploring Chinatown: A Novel of Assimilation and Culture

2020 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

This year's most entertaining read, "Inside Chinatown," is not only a hilarious novel but also a bold Hollywood satire. As noted by The Washington Post, the author skillfully delves into themes of culture, assimilation, and life inside Chinatown, making it a truly delicious literary experience.

Inside Chinatown, a novel by the creator of The best way to Reside Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, delves into themes of race, popular culture, immigration, assimilation, and escaping societal roles. This deeply personal story offers a unique perspective on the complexities of identity within a diverse and ever-changing cultural landscape.

Every day, Willis Wu grapples with his identity as the protagonist of his own life, where he is often typecast as Generic Asian Man. Whether he's playing Background Oriental Making a Bizarre Face or Disgraced Son, he feels trapped in roles that reduce him to a mere prop. Leaving his cramped room in a Chinatown SRO, Willis steps into the world of the Golden Palace restaurant, a setting for the ongoing production of Black and White, a procedural cop show. Even here, he remains a minor character, yearning to embody the esteemed role of Kung Fu Man—the pinnacle of success for someone who shares his appearance. As he navigates between these worlds, Willis wonders about the possibility of true assimilation and the impact of culture on his journey as an individual and as a character in a larger narrative.

After stumbling into the highlight, Willis finds himself launched right into a wider world than he’s ever identified, discovering not solely the key historical past of Chinatown, however the buried legacy of his family. Infinitely ingenious and deeply private, exploring the themes of popular culture, assimilation, and immigration— Inside Chinatown  is Charles Yu’s most transferring, daring, and masterful novel but.

“Contemporary and exquisite. . . .  Inside Chinatown  represents yet one more stellar vacation spot within the journey of a  sui generis  creator of seemingly limitless ability and ambition.” — The New York Occasions Ebook Overview

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