.png) First edition cover | |
| Author | Charles Yu |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Joel de la Fuente[1] |
| Cover artist | Tyler Comrie[2] |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
Publication date | January 28, 2020 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover), e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 288 |
| Awards | National Book Award for Fiction (2020) |
| ISBN | 978-0-307-90719-6 (hardcover) |
| OCLC | 1142787425 |
| 813/.6 | |
| LC Class | PS3625.U15 I58 2020 |
Interior Chinatown is a 2020 novel byCharles Yu. It is his second novel and was published byPantheon Books on January 28, 2020.[3][4][5][6] It won the 2020National Book Award for Fiction.[7] The novel was also longlisted for the 2021Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction[8] and was shortlisted for thePrix Médicis étranger.[9] Atelevision adaptation of the novel, created by Yu and starringJimmy O. Yang, premiered onHulu on November 19, 2024.[10]
The novel uses the narrative structure of thescreenplay format to tell the tale of Willis Wu, the "Generic Asian Man" who is stuck playing "Background Oriental Male" and occasionally "Delivery Guy" in the fictional police proceduralBlack and White. He longs to be "Kung Fu Guy" on screens worldwide.[11]
Interior Chinatown was published in hardcover, e-book and audiobook format byPantheon Books on January 28, 2020.[3] The audiobook was narrated by actorJoel de la Fuente.[1]
On January 27, 2020, Yu appeared onThe Daily Show with Trevor Noah to discuss the book, as well as the lack of on-screen representation for Asian Americans and themodel minority stereotype of Asian Americans.[12] Yu also discussed the novel in an interview withScott Simon onNPR'sWeekend Edition Saturday on January 25, 2020,[13] and in an appearance onLos Angeles Review of Books (LARB) Radio Hour with Medaya Ocher and Kate Wolf on February 3, 2020.[14]
In an interview withTimothy Tau forHyphen, Yu remarked that his influences for the novel includedPaul Beatty'sMan Booker Prize-winning novelThe Sellout as well as the "cyclical structure" of the filmGroundhog Day.[15]
Kirkus Reviews called the novel an "acid indictment of Asian stereotypes and a parable for outcasts feeling invisible in this fast-moving world".[16]Carolyn Kellogg ofThe Washington Post praised Yu's screenplay format as "the perfect delivery system for the satire ofInterior Chinatown".[11] Anita Felicelli of theSan Francisco Chronicle called the novel's format "groundbreaking" and wrote that Yu "solders together mordant wit and melancholic whimsy to produce a moving exploration of race and assimilation".[17] Pete Hsu of theLos Angeles Review of Books praised the accessibility of the novel's allegory and its commentary on the human condition, as well as the "meticulously crafted" details of the novel which "render a universe that feels complete to the touch".[18] Josh Denslow of theWashington Independent Review of Books wrote that the story is "told with humor and affection and a deep understanding of human nature".[19]
Jaclyn Fulwood ofShelf Awareness wrote, "Yu's format-bending, deeply felt examination of the American dream is an exercise in encouraged empathy."[20] Ken Smith of theAsian Review of Books wrote, "Though much of his protagonist's insecurities are narrowly focused—not just Asian, but specifically Asian American—his accumulation of concerns becomes surprisingly and relatably inclusive."[21]
The novel was also reviewed inThe New York Times,[22]Booklist,[23] theNew York Journal of Books,[24]The Washington Times,[25]The Harvard Crimson,[26] theChicago Review of Books,[27] and Bookreporter.com.[28]
In October 2020,Hulu announced that they would be adapting the novel into a TV series.[29] In 2022, details emerged thatTaika Waititi would be an executive producer,Jimmy O. Yang would starring as Willis Wu, and that Charles Yu would be the showrunner.[30] The ten-episode series premiered on Hulu on November 19, 2024.[10]
| Year | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction | Longlisted | [31] |
| 2020 | National Book Award for Fiction | Won | [32] |
| 2020 | Prix Médicis étranger | Shortlisted | [9] |