A Game in Yellow
As the 1931 Frankenstein warned its viewers that it was too scary, and a number of films over the years have offered sick bags to theatre-goers, A Game in Yellow begins with a warning (or a promise?) from a VP at Saga Press of the symptoms (not all entirely negative) we may experience upon reading - and rightfully so.
A Game in Yellow is centered around “The King in Yellow” which is a fictional play from an 1895 novel of the same name by Robert Chalmers and appears in many stories since; it was borrowed by H. P. Lovecraft, referenced in the show True Detective, used in games like The Curse of the Yellow Sign, and tons more. The mythology is that reading the play drives the reader mad because of the truths revealed in it.
In A Game in Yellow, Carmen asks her girlfriend Blanca for more extreme versions of BDSM, even to dangerous breath-play because she finds herself psychologically disconnected from being able to enjoy sex. In an attempt to keep this from escalating and to save their relationship, Blanca introduces her to Smoke, a woman who has a partial copy of the The King in Yellow and encourages reading bits of it to create that same feeling of survivor’s euphoria.
Thus begins Carmen’s obsession with the play which starts infecting her dreams and even her waking life.
A Game in Yellow by Hailey Piper has characters that are complex and not always likable, but they are compelling and feel like real people, and with Piper’s clever writing, we feel like we’re following Carmen down the rabbit hole, experiencing her obsession and madness with her, and it is a thrilling journey.
Stray thoughts:
It’s unfortunate that this is rare enough to be notable, but I appreciate Piper’s treatment of the overweight Blanca as a confident, sexy woman and Carmen as someone who finds Blanca’s whole body objectively attractive.
The scenes in Carmen’s office and the descriptions of her work life are sadly and hilariously perfect.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
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