James, an Asian college student who likes video games and romantic comedies, decides he's gay. With his intensely logical and linear MIT mind, he identifies all the parts of himself he believes are offensive to others, and methodically changes them one by one. In the pursuit of total self transformation--including body, skin, hair, clothes, personality, and behavior--James becomes completely lost and bewildered, having lost any trace of the person he once was. Along the way, he betrays himself several times for love, lust, and money--engaging in dangerous drug use and sex to please his first boyfriend, Stan, and manipulating his admirer, Michael, to pay for plastic surgery on his Asian eyes. After Stan dumps him, obsessed with love, he'll do anything to get Stan back...
Slant: A Novel
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Editorial Reviews
Review
A wonderful debut novel, not your typical coming out story. It has true depth, grace, and vividly drawn characters that entice the reader into this beautifully crafted story. The emotions and concerns are genuine. Timothy Wang tells a fascinating yarn with an unrivaled voice. --Alan Chin, author of Butterfly's Child and Island Song
Debut novelist Timothy Wang creates a fascinating character study in James, a recently out, virginal MIT student. Slant addresses alienation by race and sexuality in a funny, hip manner. James follows dating tips from Cosmo magazine and remains very in tune and astute to what guys want. He's a virgin at the outset of the novel and similar to other linear-minded MIT students, James makes a formula and collects empirical data.... [Wang] writes amusing descriptions of the gay yuppies in the South End. He also tackles working-class Dorchester with aplomb. Wang gets extra points for developing the location in which he sets the story.... Wang makes astute observations on the gay scene- its competitiveness, its codes, those that excel within its walls and those that struggle to fit in. James is that guy. He's obsessed with his Asian-ness compared with other guys. He doesn't like his eyes. He wants to look more American. He visits a plastic surgeon and puts down money from eye surgery and a rhinoplasty. Nearly everyone wants to be loved and to integrate into our own microcosm. Many of us never stop trying to figure out how to do it. Slant is a quick, witty novel about love, trust and developing a sense of self. --Edge Boston
Wang tackles the issues that Asians and Asian Americans experience growing up. These issues are obvious and honest. We've all been there, the confusion of growing up different from what society mainly consist of, the self-loathe of our culture because we were watching shows that didn't have culture, things that the majority population can't seem to understand. --8Asians.com
Debut novelist Timothy Wang creates a fascinating character study in James, a recently out, virginal MIT student. Slant addresses alienation by race and sexuality in a funny, hip manner. James follows dating tips from Cosmo magazine and remains very in tune and astute to what guys want. He's a virgin at the outset of the novel and similar to other linear-minded MIT students, James makes a formula and collects empirical data.... [Wang] writes amusing descriptions of the gay yuppies in the South End. He also tackles working-class Dorchester with aplomb. Wang gets extra points for developing the location in which he sets the story.... Wang makes astute observations on the gay scene- its competitiveness, its codes, those that excel within its walls and those that struggle to fit in. James is that guy. He's obsessed with his Asian-ness compared with other guys. He doesn't like his eyes. He wants to look more American. He visits a plastic surgeon and puts down money from eye surgery and a rhinoplasty. Nearly everyone wants to be loved and to integrate into our own microcosm. Many of us never stop trying to figure out how to do it. Slant is a quick, witty novel about love, trust and developing a sense of self. --Edge Boston
Wang tackles the issues that Asians and Asian Americans experience growing up. These issues are obvious and honest. We've all been there, the confusion of growing up different from what society mainly consist of, the self-loathe of our culture because we were watching shows that didn't have culture, things that the majority population can't seem to understand. --8Asians.com
About the Author
Timothy Wang has lived in Utah, Boston, New York, Seattle, Shanghai and Beijing, and still hasn't set down his roots anywhere. He's ethnically Chinese with an American Passport, but he thinks himself a citizen of the world. He enjoys traveling, eating and video games. He's severely allergic to cats. He loves dogs, because they are adorable and don't induce him to sneeze uncontrollably. Slant is his first novel. He's currently working on his second book.
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More About the Author
Timothy Wang has lived in Utah, Boston, New York, Seattle, Shanghai and Beijing, and still hasn't set down his roots anywhere. He's ethnically Chinese with an American Passport, but he thinks himself a citizen of the world. He enjoys traveling, eating and video games. He's severely allergic to cats. He loves dogs, because they are adorable and don't induce him to sneeze uncontrollably. Slant is his first novel. He's currently working on his second book.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Slant" is a bittersweet novel and I mean that in the truest sense of the word. The bitterness that results from confronting constant racism is countered by the sweetness of a youthful, earnest quest for love. I remember Dan Savage, years ago in his weekly column, taking a letter writer to task for identifying himself as "doubly-cursed" as being both Asian and gay. Savage called the young man doubly-blessed, and went on to extol the virtues of his identity and counsel against self-loathing. "Slant" can be considered doubly-blessed as well: a coming-out novel, it's thankfully based in Boston, and allows the reader to explore a gay urban landscape other than NYC or San Francisco. The young protagonist, studying at MIT, is Chinese, and as he tries to map love in an excel spreadsheet the stereotype of the mathematically inclined Asian is turned upside down. Its worth noting how rarely race is discussed in gay literature, making "Slant" a welcome addition to the gay canon; importantly, it's not polemic. Sex, drugs, friendship, and family are explored, yet I'm surprised at how quickly I read this breezy book. But when the main character, James, seriously considers cosmetic surgery to have his eyes carved into something more suitably Caucasian, Wang showed considerable power as a novelist. It's important that writers attack issues as problematic as race with a dexterous mix of humor and horror, of shock and recognition, making "Slant" a strong debut. I'm looking forward to the author's next book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Kwillie
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Slant: A Novel takes the perspective of a naive asian MIT student who shortly after coming out to himself, follows his heart into a troubled relationship which he just can't seem to get over, even though he self admittedly has better options offering him the world. He finds himself quickly losing his naivety and experiencing the best and the worst of the clubs, men, sex and drugs.
I found myself finding as many opportunities as possible to pick this book back up and continue reading. I found myself identifying with the story, but also feeling like I was secretly watching someone else's intimate life without them knowing... all the insecurities, hopes, sexual escapades and schemes.
I'd recommend this book as you'll either identify with it or see things from another perspective and wish your story had been this interesting.
I found myself finding as many opportunities as possible to pick this book back up and continue reading. I found myself identifying with the story, but also feeling like I was secretly watching someone else's intimate life without them knowing... all the insecurities, hopes, sexual escapades and schemes.
I'd recommend this book as you'll either identify with it or see things from another perspective and wish your story had been this interesting.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A surprise: Pager turner, complex character, and an adventure in personal development
June 14, 2011
By Sean Howell
Format:Paperback
When I first opened this book, I had an idea of what to expect, a relatable coming of age story. I was in for a surprise, James, the main character, from the moment he takes me into his first days on a college campus to the finale of the novel, I couldn't put the book down nor could I escape being glued to his inward strategy for dealing with his life.
Slant is about a dorky American boy going off to college, who lands himself in a social subgroup within a sub group, he confronts the walls of social norms and his own inner heart and thinking--sometimes in the most diabolical of ways. This book is delightfully entertaining, as the male character struggles with romance he sometimes makes wrong choices and the author gives enough character development for you to see the hero's mind at work. The novel is at times sweet, nostalgic, and chilling as it delivers insights into human nature and rebels against social structures and norms. Enjoy!
Slant is about a dorky American boy going off to college, who lands himself in a social subgroup within a sub group, he confronts the walls of social norms and his own inner heart and thinking--sometimes in the most diabolical of ways. This book is delightfully entertaining, as the male character struggles with romance he sometimes makes wrong choices and the author gives enough character development for you to see the hero's mind at work. The novel is at times sweet, nostalgic, and chilling as it delivers insights into human nature and rebels against social structures and norms. Enjoy!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Slant is a novel a novel that affirm and deny itself in one word: cute. Everything seems to make it cute, the main character, James, 19 years old, is young, virgin, cute. But James will try everything to deny the cuteness of this incipit, almost becoming a dirty angel, trying to destroy his innocence. He is Chinese-American but he has a complex about his heritage, a complex that unfortunately is not without reason. He goes to MIT, he is clever and pretty, but he is always comparing himself to the next guy, and most time than not he comes out as the looser in his mind. Doesn't matter that apparently James has no problem to hook up, when he first decides he wants a boyfriend he meets Stan, an waiter wanna-be artist, young and beautiful, but dangerous. Stan is a party animal and he drags James in a perilous path towards unprotected sex and use of drugs as recreational activity. But Stan is like a drug himself, and James seems unable to renounce to him. When Stan dumps him, James uses Michael to rebound. Michael was James's friend, obviously smitten by James, and even if at the time he had another boyfriend, Michael would have been more than willing to break-up with his boyfriend for James.
James, Stan and Michael are so full of faults since they are so true. If you pick them up one by one, considering them and their actions, they all come out as faulty; Stan is so vain and careless that you should hate him, but in the end he has never forced James to do anything he didn't want; Michael is caring and generous, but truth be told, I felt like he wanted a boy-toy more than a boyfriend; James has an analytical mind, but when he arrives to the boyfriend material, he is really able to commit the worst mistakes.... Read more ›
James, Stan and Michael are so full of faults since they are so true. If you pick them up one by one, considering them and their actions, they all come out as faulty; Stan is so vain and careless that you should hate him, but in the end he has never forced James to do anything he didn't want; Michael is caring and generous, but truth be told, I felt like he wanted a boy-toy more than a boyfriend; James has an analytical mind, but when he arrives to the boyfriend material, he is really able to commit the worst mistakes.... Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Jim
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
What are the probabilities that you will be won over by an author's first novel? Relatively good, if the author is Timothy Wang and the book is SLANT.
James, the lead protagonist, opens the story with a formula for finding love (of sorts) that involves detailed statistics and probabilities on a spreadsheet. How long will it take him to realize that love is intangible, not some mathematical variable? Meanwhile, in his "coming out" era, he does learn (like any normal guy would) to blur the lines between love and lust, trust and security, looks and beauty, and success V. happiness, as he meanders his way in and out of affairs, ending with an obsessive desire for one lover while in a LTR with another.
Throughout it all, we share the pain associated with ignorant intolerance, not only in his facing the gay issue, but more importantly through the reality that "Asian" was (to James) a label he couldn't shed. Because I am, by all assessment, a "rice queen", a label I recently learned of myself, I was unaware of the dating discrimination these young men had to overcome. Slanted or not, James' eyes and heart were American. Why couldn't everyone see that?
Aside from the periodic editorial "oops" of a missing or duplicated word, I found the story to be well written, compelling and one I could relate to. If you are any of these: smart, gay, lonely, coming out, dating or sexual, you'll want to read SLANT. I look forward to future works by this budding author.
Review by J.V. Petretta, author of AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM STORY
James, the lead protagonist, opens the story with a formula for finding love (of sorts) that involves detailed statistics and probabilities on a spreadsheet. How long will it take him to realize that love is intangible, not some mathematical variable? Meanwhile, in his "coming out" era, he does learn (like any normal guy would) to blur the lines between love and lust, trust and security, looks and beauty, and success V. happiness, as he meanders his way in and out of affairs, ending with an obsessive desire for one lover while in a LTR with another.
Throughout it all, we share the pain associated with ignorant intolerance, not only in his facing the gay issue, but more importantly through the reality that "Asian" was (to James) a label he couldn't shed. Because I am, by all assessment, a "rice queen", a label I recently learned of myself, I was unaware of the dating discrimination these young men had to overcome. Slanted or not, James' eyes and heart were American. Why couldn't everyone see that?
Aside from the periodic editorial "oops" of a missing or duplicated word, I found the story to be well written, compelling and one I could relate to. If you are any of these: smart, gay, lonely, coming out, dating or sexual, you'll want to read SLANT. I look forward to future works by this budding author.
Review by J.V. Petretta, author of AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM STORY
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great read
OK, I admit it, I bought this book because of the cover. I had this book on my shelf for a few months. I had a cross country flight coming up so I put it in my pack. Read more
Published 5 months ago by JimBear
5.0 out of 5 stars
A compelling read - excellent
I read about 3 or 4 gay themed books or novels per month, often when I am hours in airports and on planes and Slant was one of the best recent books I have read. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Stan C. Kimer
2.0 out of 5 stars
We can do better!
**Small Spoilers**
Written in the form of a semi-fragmented college memoir, Timothy Wang's Slant straddles the line between
steamy beach read and a potentially... Read more
Written in the form of a semi-fragmented college memoir, Timothy Wang's Slant straddles the line between
steamy beach read and a potentially... Read more
Published 11 months ago by B. Lue
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clever, Witty.
As I was going through the book, there were so many emotions and feelings aroused by the writing that I was determined to write a good review for the book. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Jonathan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging and interesting story of an Asian-American gay student coming...
James is an openly-gay M.I.T. student in Boston, separated for the first time in his 19 years from his traditional Chinese immigrant parents. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Bob Lind
4.0 out of 5 stars
A successful portrait of learning to be GAM in America
With somewhat similar experience of learning to be a GAM in America, I like this book as it resonates with my own story in many aspects. Read more
Published 20 months ago by H. Zhang
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read, not only for Asian Americans and Gays
an awesome novel about a gay Asian American MIT student. Once I started it, I read it cover to cover with only some sleep in between. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Christof M. Wittig
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Terrific First Novel. Let's hope he writes more!
There's not enough good gay fiction being published, much less good gay fiction with an Asian perspective. Read more
Published 22 months ago by SeekerStill
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MUST READ!!
This is great novel with a unique perspective and a must read. The story is a genuine journey of discovery and is filled with humor, passion, wit and emotion that keeps the reader... Read more
Published 23 months ago by CD
5.0 out of 5 stars
Slant review
I adored this book from beginning to end. It reminded me of a time when I was struggling with my own demons and what I went through.. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Saemichael
