Another Aussie author! I picked The Whitewash up on impulse while I was in Melbourne and visiting a few little indie bookstores. The cover caught my eye and I thought it sounded really interesting.
It tells the story of a Hollywood James Bond-esque movie, that would have been the first to star an Asian male lead. And how that movie never came to be. But as it's explaining the circumstances of this fictional movie, it delves into the real history of Asian representation within films, from Fu Manchu to the present day.
I found it so entertaining and genuinely fascinating. It's written as transcripts from a series of interviews with a range of characters, including an Adjunct Professor of Chinese Cultural Studies at the University of Queensland, the lead actor cast in the movie, his girlfriend, his personal trainer, and a collection of writers for a celebrity gossip website. I found this to be a really fun way to approach the topic, and it allowed the author to really dive into the history sections from both academic and movie fan points of view.
Definitely recommend!
