Yellow: Stories

by Don Lee

Book Overview

As the Los Angeles Times noted in its profile of the author, "few writers have mined the genre of ethnic literature] as shrewdly or transcended its limits quite so stunningly as Don Lee." Harking "back to the timeless concerns of Chekhov: fate, chance, the mystery of the human heart" (Stuart Dybek), these interconnected stories "are utterly contemporary, ...but grounded in the depth of beautiful prose and intriguing storylines" (Asian Week). They...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393323080
• ISBN13: 9780393323085
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

An Intelligent and Updated View

In an interview, Lee mentions Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio and Joyce's Dubliners as literary influences for his seminal work of short stories, Yellow (2001), which focuses on the lives of Asian-Americans living or connected to Rosarita Bay, modeled after Half Moon Bay, California. Lee's book avoids immigrant narratives focusing instead on the lives of Asian-Americans who experience themselves as "American" without the carrying the complex weight of moving from one country to another. While one may encounter shadows of post-diasporic experience in the stories, "Casual Water" and "Yellow", Lee does not preoccupy readers with plot lines most often associated with the work of more commonly known Asian-American writers. Instead, he illustrates well the various issues assimilated Asian-Americans face as they live in a country where occasionally, they are reminded of their immigration status, regardless of whether they have been born in the United States. For Lee, race politics includes a Chinese thug who questions his Korean-American attorney about his white girlfriend in "Voir Dire", presuming that a white girlfriend automatically indicates a form of race treachery. Annie Yung, in the delightful, "Lone Night Cantina", assumes a cowgirl identity only to find herself facing the problems with assuming an identity that is not authentic to her person. Some Asian-American students will react to Yellow by arguing that they do not find Lee's characters "Asian" enough which begs the question: What does it mean to be Asian/Asian-American and what are the risks of narrowly-defining characteristics that ultimately lead to essentialism. Feminists have been right to point out how essentialism damages women and similarly, readers can bring their assumptions to the book so long as they understand that reading Lee's work may cast new light and perhaps, widen the spectrum of race representation. Readers who presume to know what "Asian" is may find themselves struggling with Lee's honest portrayal which avoids reinforcing images of Asian-Americans as perpetually struggling, self-hating, or striking nationalistic attitudes. Marked with a fluidity of language and expression, Lee's affection for his characters allows them genuine epiphanies without sentimentalism.

A great reading

Normally I like to read novels. The reason why I read this book is because I like the second book from the same author (The country of origin). I am not an experienced reviewer. I can't tell whether it is pedestrian or literally meaningful. However, I like it very much. It is so enthralling in spite of the subtle writing style that I could barely put the book down. Once I have started one story, I had to continue reading till I had read the whole story. My favorite stories are "Casual Water", about two young boys struggling to make a living after abandoned by their parents; and "Yellow", about a successful Korean consultant's internal struggle with his indentity and the cultural differences. For me, they are very moving and insightful.

Eight-Legged Perfection

I don't think I've ever encountered a collection of stories where every single story fulfilled me so thoroughly. There are eight gems in Yellow, seven decent-sized stories and one long one, the titular tale that may be the most accomplished of the lot. That story chronicles the life of Danny Kim, who is doing exactly what FDR told everyone not to: fearing fear itself. The fear in Danny's life is racism, and he's never actually hurt by it in any grand fashion, probably because he heads it off (or at least thinks he heads it off). His character is fascinating and yet very believable: he's the kind of guy who, at the prospect of getting knifed by an assailant, might take out his own knife and slice himself before any damage could be incurred by the other party. "Yellow" is the longest story in the book and the most satisfying.I found "The Price of Eggs in China" to be the most fun story, full of lovely twists and great detail about the making of furniture. "Casual Water" was the most heartbreaking, a sad story about two boys abandoned by both parents. Really, there isn't a weak story in this entire book. It's unfortunate that Yellow probably won't get past the typical Asian-American reader, because this book is quite universal in many respects, much like Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies.Oh well. Maybe not every Joe and Jane Doe will read it, but here's one reader who's a much happier person for having read this wonderful collection.

At Last

Finally an Asian American work that avoids cliches and writes about such things as Asian American men and Asian Hottie fetish mixed with racism and sexual politics to boot--and all with real intelligence. Lee pins everyone to the wall--men and women--explores their issues, their sexuality, their prejudices, and their hang-ups in a subtle, but engaging and realistic way. The prose is top-rate, Lee is a masterful storyteller on par with some of the best fiction writers out there. The stories "Casual Water" and the eponymous "Yellow" are poignant, well-written stnadouts; but check out "Domo Arigato," the story of a Korean American male and his white lover in Japan, and you get the feeling of Finally! Really great writing that has finally broken past the cliched Asian American streotypes of the past!

Captivating

This collection of short stories is written about Asian Americans, but is not *for* only Asians. I think anyone of any race can identify with the issues these characters go through. Lee touches on race, but the majority of these stories deal with basic human emotions--jealousy, insecurity, lonliness. Don Lee's writing is subtle, but certainly not boring. He speaks quietly at you, and then there is a sudden moment of clarity that makes your heart ache. It reminds me of James Joyce's "The Dubliners." Do yourself a favor and savor each of these stories. The first and the last are my favorites.