I can’t believe it’s the second week of the The Weekly and I’m already late. But to quote The Canterbury Tales, “for better than never is late; never to succeed would be too long a period.”
So, here goes.
What I’m Reading
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
Hailed as 100 Must-Read Books of 2020 by Time Magazine, Cha’s deftly crafted debut novel alternates between the perspectives of four different women in Seoul as they navigate romantic and financial crises, filial expectations, career aspirations and deeply held traumas. Each of the women dreams of escape from her hapless situation through different routes: Kyuri, through her beauty; Miho, through her art; Wonna, through her unborn child; and Ara, through a K-pop star. Cha, who grew up in South Korea, Hong Kong and the U.S., imbues each character with her own unique voice as they all fight through a grim depiction of modern-day Seoul. All are struggling financially.
“Unless you are born into a chaebol family or your parents were the fantastically lucky few who purchased land in Gangnam decades ago, you have to work and work and work for a salary that isn't even enough to buy a house,” Wonna laments.
Because of Kyuri's successful plastic surgeries, men hire her to be their companion at after-work "room salons," giving her an enviable stock of designer purses and spending money. Sujin is saving up for surgery to attain the same face as Kyuri, but Cha shows how all the women are impacted by these standards. Ara's work as a hairdresser makes her literally invested in part of the beauty industry, and even though artist Miho hopes her talent will allow her to rise on her own, she finds herself dependent on the whims of a wealthy boyfriend.
“For all its millions of people, Korea is the size of a fishbowl and someone is always looking down on someone else. That’s just the way it is in this country, and the reason why people ask a series of rapid-fire questions the minute they meet you,” says Miho.
At times, the voices of the many characters can blur and the timeline can be confusing. Wonna is the least developed character and interacts with the others only in a plot twist at the end of the book.
However, taken together, Cha's empathetic portraits allow readers to see the impact of economic inequity, entrenched classism, and patriarchy on her hard-working characters' lives. Sadness and a sense of dislocation are found in all the characters. Although the lifestyle for which they opt is dazzling and glamorous, the pitfall of disillusionment is always there waiting, as the wealthy and elite class of Korean men seem only interested in commodifying and objectifying them.
Cha grew up in the United States, South Korea, and Hong Kong and is a former Seoul-based culture and travel editor for CNN.
3.5/5
What I’m Listening To
Sacred Space with Radha & Dane Majors by NTS Radio
Ambient, dub, soul jazz— Radha curates these monthly mixes for NTS. For this one, @danemajors takes over with a bag of euphoric downtempo, dreamy pop, and lush street soul tune.
4.5/5
What I’m Crying To
Vulnerability Study by Solmaz Sharif
your face turning from mine
to keep from cumming
8 strawberries in a wet blue bowl
baba holding his pants
up at the checkpoint
a newlywed securing her updo
with grenade pins
a wall cleared of nails
for the ghosts to walk through
20/5
What I’m Watching
Spencer by Pablo Larrain
This sad, moody, orchestral film had so much potential. Sweeping, surreal imagery of the English countryside captured on film by French cinematographer, Claire Mathon, Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood scores the film with lush orchestration, Kristen Stewart’s heady, tear-jerking acting chops and Pablo Larraine’s intense character study (Jackie, Ema, A Fantastic Woman) yet somehow, the film falls short of evoking much, apart from a general contempt and dislike for all of the royalty, including the former Princess of Wales.
For starters, Sally Hawkins (the brilliant protagonist from Shape of Water) is wholly underused, perhaps appearing in 3-4 scenes with no pivotal role to play in the narrative, ultimately ending in a twist ending that falls flat. For another, the score is great but it often overshadows a good scene or saves a weak one. The dialogue by Steven Knight (Locke, Peaky Blinders, Serenity) gives me the feeling that everybody in the Royal family only speaks in riddles and clever epithets. Princess Diana was a larger than life figure and it’s tough to say something about her that hasn’t already been said yet so I understand Larrain’s inability to give us something truly immersive. That being said, he did manage to achieve that effect with Jackie. I’m not sure if it was more to do with Natalie Portman or the kind of public figure Jackie Kennedy was.
For a film that meant to humanize Diana, it only left me with the feeling of being further alienated from her.
3/5
Internet Moment Of The Week
After Slapgate, Will Smith was spotted at the Mumbai airport and is reported to be visiting Sadhguru. To seek atonement, perhaps? Let’s see how this develops. But until then, remember to pay attention to the matters that actively need addressing in this country: saving the soil! Don’t forget to log onto Sadhguru’s merch store for some fresh 🍋 drip
0/5
And, if you have the time to spare, have a look at the fresh spate of communal hell that simmered across 9 states and 15 days in April culminating in shops and houses in Muslim-dominant areas being scorched and raised to the ground.
0/5
See ya next Sunday!
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