The Double Life of Benson Yu

March 15, 2023
A sexual abuse survivor tries to process his pain by fictionalizing it. Benson Yu is famous for creating Iggy Samurai, a comic book featuring a teenage iguana who lives in Central Park and solves crimes alongside Coyote Sensei, a samurai master reincarnated as a coyote. Though the work is loosely autobiographical, Benson has never truly dealt with the traumas of his youth and, consequently, now struggles with depression, anxiety, and alcoholism. Then he receives a "noxious letter" from C., the karate teacher who molested him as a kid, seeking payment since he believes he inspired Coyote Sensei: "I swear, some of the things that character said came right out of my mouth." The correspondence motivates Benson to try writing something new--a book set in 1980s Chinatown about a 12-year-old boy named Benny that's "closer to domestic realism, if not, strictly speaking, nonfiction." Benson claims his intention in undertaking the project is to "understand the gauntlet of misfortune and mistreatment that [he] underwent as a child," thereby exorcising his demons; as with Iggy Samurai, however, Benson can't seem to help but rewrite the past, fabricating an explanation for his villain's viciousness that cracks the door for redemption. Benson's efforts then stall before taking on a life of their own--literally. Part 1 of Chong's novel unfolds in a present-tense voice, as though Benson is narrating Benny's tale in real time, as it comes to him. The format holds the reader at a remove, complicating efforts to connect with the story or its characters. Part 2 is more successful, offering depth-conferring glimpses into the minds of both Benny and Benson, but the climax, while earned, proves less cathartic than disturbing. Better in concept than execution.

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Starred review from March 31, 2023

This evocative and innovative novel, deemed metafiction by Canadian author Chong (Beauty Plus Pity), defies space-time to interweave the narrator's own past and present. Growing up in what could be San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1980s, Benny is a smart kid who has lived with his grandmother since his mother died. When his grandmother also dies, Benny avoids social services and hides out in the apartment of a karate enthusiast named Constantine who lives in his building. Benny is discovered by the authorities and is sent to live with his distant father. A mysterious social worker, Macy, takes Benny to his father's house--in the future, which is also the present day. The future Benny is a successful comic-book artist, completely aware that his son from the past is also himself. The presence of his past self allows the future Benny to grapple with his experience of child abuse at the hands of a former karate teacher who is similar to but not the same as Constantine. Confronting this abuser is a key moment around which the narrative turns. VERDICT This intensely readable and engaging novel deals with serious personal issues in an inspired manner. Highly recommended.--Henry Bankhead

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 10, 2023
A Chinese American comic book author faces the truth of his painful childhood in Chong’s inventive metafictional outing (after The Plague, a retelling of Camus’s novel). Benny, the fictional version of author Benson Yu, is raised by his grandmother in 1980s New York City. She dies when he is 12, and he attempts to fend for himself in their Chinatown apartment. Meanwhile, a burly white man named Constantine who believes he’s a samurai warrior has moved into the building, just down the hall from Benny’s grandmother’s apartment. In order to escape the prying eyes of social workers, Benny asks a reluctant Constantine if he can stay with him. Yu frequently intrudes on the narrative, implying that a real Constantine had abused him and claiming that his choice to make Benny 12 rather than a young adult “gets closer to the emotional truth.” After Constantine reappears in Yu’s life, Yu attempts to find catharsis through writing a fictional account of his early years. Chong delivers a convincing account of Benny’s childhood neglect, though the authorial commentary tends to confuse an otherwise vivid story. This will frustrate and move readers in equal measure. Agent: Carolyn Forde and Samantha Haywood, Transatlantic Literary.