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Book Cover for: The Double Life of Benson Yu, Kevin Chong

The Double Life of Benson Yu

Kevin Chong

Paperback
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Finalist:Scotiabank Giller Prize -Fiction (2023)
"A nuanced, complex, and highly original novel." --Charles Yu, National Book Award-winning author of Interior Chinatown A fresh, unique work of metafiction that follows a graphic novelist who loses control of his own narrative when he attempts to write the story of his fraught upbringing in 1980s Chinatown.In a Chinatown housing project lives twelve-year-old Benny, his ailing grandmother, and his strange neighbor Constantine, a man who believes he's a reincarnated medieval samurai. When his grandmother is hospitalized, Benny manages to survive on his own until a social worker comes snooping. With no other family, he is reluctantly taken in by Constantine and soon, an unlikely bond forms between the two. At least, that's what Yu, the narrator of the story, wants to write. The creator of a bestselling comic book, Yu is struggling with continuing the poignant tale of Benny and can't help but interject from the present day, slowly revealing a darker backstory. Can Yu confront the demons he's spent his adult life avoiding or risk his own life...and Benny's? "Instructive as it is inspiring, The Double Life of Benson Yu is a phenomenal example of a writer taking real risks in order to reveal and reckon with deep-rooted, tormenting truths as a means of moving forward. Kevin Chong has crafted a novel that will get your heart pumping, mind jumping, and, best of all, fingers turning" (Mateo Askaripour, New York Times bestselling author).

Book Details

  • Publisher: Washington Square Press
  • Publish Date: Feb 13rd, 2024
  • Pages: 240
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.25in - 5.31in - 0.56in - 0.38lb
  • EAN: 9781668005514
  • Categories: • Literary• Asian American & Pacific Islander• Psychological

About the Author

Chong, Kevin: - Kevin Chong is the award-winning author of several books of fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The Rumpus, and more. He currently lives in Vancouver and is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus. The Double Life of Benson Yu was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

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What people are saying

Mentioner image for: Lorraine Berry
Lorraine Berry
@BerryFLW
2 years

Lorraine Berry is a book critic and essayist.

@TheBookMaven I stayed up way past my bedtime reading THE DOUBLE LIFE OF BENSON YU by Kevin Chong last night. It comes out in April. What a terrific novel.

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Mentioner image for: Vancouver Public Library
Vancouver Public Library
@VPL
2 years

VPL staff tweet daily on library happenings. Got a question? Send us a tweet, email us at info@vpl.ca, or call 604.331.3603. Monitored M-F 9am-5pm.

THIS WEDNESDAY: Acclaimed author @thatkevinchong discusses his new novel & examines how telling our story can help us move on from our traumas w/ writer JJ Lee. Part of Uplift Asian. Kevin Chong: The Double Life of Benson Yu May10 | 7pm| Central Library | https://t.co/atyUdbcL60 https://t.co/AtgOdTa3TH

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Mentioner image for: VPL Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre
VPL Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre
@VPLSIIC
2 years

Resources, information and programs for newcomers, job seekers and small businesses in Metro Vancouver, BC Services in English, 中文 siic@vpl.ca / 604-331-3603

On May 10th, hear Kevin Chong discuss his novel, The Double Life of Benson Yu, with writer JJ Lee. Learn more at: https://t.co/MLbKVAbMGC https://t.co/iHtHSQ2thH

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Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

"A nuanced, complex, and highly original novel, equal parts harrowing and illuminating. Kevin Chong's language is endlessly readable, bursting with pain, humor, and invention. Remarkable." -Charles Yu, National Book Award-winning author of Interior Chinatown

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