Potent clash between race and elitism

Told in a slightly overblown first and second person narrative, the novel details a Black writer's attempt to subvert the possibly elitist bastions of British theatre by presenting her racially-charged work in a white, cis male alter ego, roping in a complete stranger as her avatar. The latest in a string of novels with successful writers masquerading or being masqueraded, The Grand Scheme of Things starts off with a strong punch but veers into soap opera before coming to what might be only one of all possible denouements. I'm a fan of fairy tales, but this is perhaps one fairy tale too far, with almost everyone getting what they want, bar one romance.

Keeping this spoiler free, there is a moment when a key deceptive romance is questioned for its optics when the romance behind it isn't. There's just something missing, perhaps an attention to detail that might have picked up on some, to my reading at least, leaden sentences full of allusion and hyperbole that land on the page with an inauthenticity. Well plotted but perhaps the characters are a little too self-aware in some areas, not at all in others.

Three stars.

The Grand Scheme of Things follows Naledi, a playwright struggling to gain recognition for her work. Frustrated by perceived bias in the theatre world, she submits her script to the prestigious Wentworth Agency under a pseudonym. Upon meeting her, agent Helen Hunter recognizes Naledi's talent, but Naledi feels her name holds her back.

Desperate to expose the industry’s biases, Naledi enlists the help of acquaintance Hugo Lawrence Smith, asking him to claim the play as his own. When the play unexpectedly wins a prestigious award, the situation spirals out of control, putting Naledi's career—and her integrity—at risk.

The story skillfully weaves a sharp narrative with deeper character exploration, capturing the complexities of ambition, identity, and the pursuit of artistic recognition. Naledi’s journey is both thought-provoking and engaging, making for a compelling read.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.


The Grand Scheme of Things by Warona Jay is a novel that tells the story of two friends that work to expose the world of theatre.

Although the scheme is worthwhile, the unforeseen events that follow may have more negatives than positives.

The story centres around Relebogile Naledi Mpho Moruakgomo known as Eddie, who is the daughter of divorced parents from Botswana, who after graduating from the top drama university in London, is unable to get her play published because of her race.

The only time she got in the door was when she used an English name but shortly after coming clean it got turned down,

Enter Hugo, a bored privileged white male who is trapped doing Law because that is what his family does.

This led to Eddie and Hugo to submit the play into the same agency with obvious results for the novel.

As a contemporary issue novel I am trying to work out if the novel worked as that was the main point of the book.

Which I do have a few issues with.

Firstly the novel used Brexit as a basis for the play in the book so was set solidly in time as the book starts shortly before the 2016 referendum giving the whole situation at the time.

This then leads onto a description of an author who has written a story set in space where a kid goes to school and there are quizzes online to decide which school you would be in.

Even though I know what happens in the story is I can not see the point, of this character at all as the story would have worked just as well without her,

While the story was set up to show how race affects the theatre industry Eddie had one advantage of living in London with one very minor character coming from Liverpool with a description of her accent that felt odd.

Maybe it would have been fine in most other novels but a story about identity should be held to a higher standard than a novel not having an identity at the heart of its story.


Having said that The Grand Scheme of Things by Warona Jay is an interesting novel to start discussions of privilege however, it could have been a little less clunky in the story telling, however it still works as a novel for the right reader.

A story of deceit, prejudice and assumptions, focused on Nadeli/Eddie's extreme talent and misplaced ambitions. When Eddie gets a straight white male acquaintance to front her ground-breaking new play, she gets more than she bargained for and less than she wanted.

Warona Jay tells a tight story of the publishing and theatre world, and the impact Eddie's actions have on the world and relationships around her. For me it was a bit too long and could have been done more concisely, and it seems to peter out towards the end as a result. I couldn't sympathise with the characters who were mostly unpleasant, and it starts from a premise of Eddie being too ready to give up on her dream, which sets the whole thing in motion.

I loved this book! The author provides a deep and creative insight into many topical issues.

Themes such as romantic relationships, friendships, family connections, society, corporate racism, class differences are all a strong feature!

The characters are diverse and their relationships continually change as the plot evolves. That felt very realistic. It was also difficult to fathom the logic of many decisions taken by the main characters. I suppose that is disappointingly realistic too.

All in all, I felt a great deal of empathy for the main characters as they each pursued different ideals and interacted with each other. Proof that life is not fair was prominent throughout!

The author must be pleased with producing such a thought-provoking novel.
I look forward to reading more books by Warona Jay
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49954981.Warona_Jay

#NetGalley

Eddie is a gifted playwright. However, living as a Black, queer woman in a racist society means the agency she wants to represent her brilliant debut play thinks her face doesn't fit. Enter Hugo. After a chance encounter at a coffee shop, Eddie meets the person who she decides will be the perfect face of her play. Though they technically inhabit the same world, their experiences have never overlapped. And so the deception begins.

The characterisation in The Grand Scheme of Things is clear and crisp. It does however alternate chapters with different POVs where it is not always immediately obvious which protagonist is narrating because they refer to each other as "you". As a reader who loves the theatre, this book really opened my eyes to the other side of the stage - what are all the things that happen in the lead-up to opening night?

I could barely get through the first 50 pages of this if I'm honest. The writing does not have its own unique quality and the premise isn't that original - it's similar to the Blazing World and Yellowface. Unfortunately the writing needs to be better if we're treading similar ground.

What a fascinating story of intrigue. As unlikely friends hatch a scheme to expose the theatre world, they get themselves in a twist. Beautifully written from the vantage point of the various characters, The Grand Scheme of Things by Warona Jay is a joy to read. Relebogile Naledi Mpho Moraukgomo, an aspiring playwright, and Hugo Lawrence Smith. looking for a way out of the corporate world go on a mission to expose the theatre world for its racism. In the pursuit of a laudable cause their reputations and friendship are tested. This is a page turner!

Well this was a bit of an illustration in deception, and how it can cascade and spiral. I kept going back to the old adage, what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive... which I think fits very well here. We start with Eddie, or Relebogile Naledi Mpho Moruakgomo to give her her proper given name. She is a graduate of creative writing and, when we first meet her, she is finishing off writing her first play. She then submits said play and has rejection after rejection. She starts to think her "exotic" name could be a barrier so she resubmits under a "straight white male" name and gets to interview stage. It is then that she receives the rejection.
But a chance meeting with Hugo Lawrence-Smith in a coffee shop becomes the seed for an idea. Double barrelled, posh, well educated, law degree, charismatic, and very very white! Could he really be her saviour? His name, his persona, coupled with her play... just to see if it works? They plan to just see how far they can go and then expose the industry. But when it wins an award, "Hugo" wins an award, things start to get complicated and they have to continue the charade.
This book hurt me as I do believe that this sort of prejudice does indeed happen in the theatre industry. I am a big theatre goer, and a great advocate and supporter of new plays and playwrights. It shocks me that what happens in this play could actually happen in real life. Has happened.
And O my days, what happens in this book. For Eddie and Hugo to keep their secret. What sacrifices. Personal and professional. Especially with the addition of third parties. And then, when they are finally ready to tell all, well, I'll leave you to find out how that goes down...
I am not sure still exactly what I feel about the main characters. They all have their good and bad qualities. They do come across as human and flawed. But also gritty and determined, and willing to fight for what they want and believe in, if on occasion heart rules head a bit! But I don't think my ambivalence marred my overall enjoyment of this book. I say book, I should say DEBUT book. Which makes it all the more impressive. And leaves me all the more excited to find out what she has in store for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

On this occasion this book wasn’t for me. I found this book a very angry book rallying about things that are wrong with the world and the UK, Brexit, sexism and racism. I appreciate that these things are all important but I think I needed something more fictional at the moment so a case of wrong time wrong place for me.

I have to say I thought I would love this book and I was not at all disappointed. More than just an interesting read The Grand Scheme of Things does a great job at highlighting the racism, sexism and classism views held in some forms of medium, namely this time in the theatre.

Jay’s characters are both interesting but I absolutely adored Relebogile Naledi Mpho Moruakgomo, hereafter referred to as Eddie. She was so well rounded, interesting and ultimately fun. I also did like Hugo Lawernce Smith but not as much I must admit. That said the dynamic between the two in the novel was something I did enjoy.

That said I also really enjoyed the writing style and pacing both of which made the novel incredibly readable and most importantly enjoyable. I also loved that the novel had a purpose. While, yes, it’s a fun and enjoyable read it has meaning behind it as well. If you are looking for an enjoyable read with wonderful characters that examines the racism and sexism still found in a lot of ‘traditional’ publishing mediums you will love this one.

As always thank you to Footnote Press for the copy to review. My review is always honest and truthful.

I was a bit worried this was going to be a bit too much like Yellowface but it turned out to be quite different.

There was a lot I liked about this. I liked the set up, I liked the characters, I liked the theatre world.

I really wanted a bit more about Eddie’s relationship with Blue which I felt was dashed over too quickly, and towards the end as the conceit starts to unravel I felt the narrative struggled to keep up too.

But I really enjoyed this one. It’s great fun and will be a great book for discussion!

4 stars

This was an engaging, well written novel with a nicely constructed plot. It had an important premise, that opportunities for minorities are limited compared to those for a white man. This is supported from a non fiction books like everyday sexism by Laura Bates which details many instances where professions are dominated by men, especially if they are white. More than that, the book points out that this prejudice is there even among people who profess to be non discriminatory, making this a worthwhile and important read.

I struggled a bit with this as I found the actions of the main protagonist difficult to believe. I enjoyed it overall and was invested in the characters, just struggled with the initial premise

An exploration of structural racism and the class system in the UK theatre world. Naledi (or Eddie, for short), a talented young woman trying to get a play noticed and publisher. Hugo is a young man with all the attributes of economic privilege, great (private) education, and strong familial links in the publishing industry. When Naledi struggles to get noticed she comes up with a crazy idea of having Hugo front the play, and prove, once and for all, how structurally discriminatory the theatre world actually is. Things spiral out of control quickly, and we see lies begetting lies, and causing upheaval in the lives of our protagonists.

The book is an interesting angle on an age-old problem. It's a modern take on the issue of racism in theatre and arts, and benefits from very strong and vibrant characters, and an apologetic in-your-face depiction of how racism affects its victims. I particularly liked Naledi's depiction. I don't know how much the author intended this outcome, but Naledi came across, at least to me, as somewhat of psychotic sociopath, and her decisions and behaviours were amusing and disturbing at the same time.

While an interesting concept, and solid writing, I didn't think there was anything special about this book. Firstly, I struggle with rage novels. While the issues are obviously important and painful, and the is no argument about the awful effects of structural (covert) racism, I dislike it when it's all presented in a black and white way (excuse the pun), with few shades of grey. A quick scan of the characters reveals all white upper middle class British people as self-conceited villains (who, at best, have a messiah complex), while all minorities and Brits from poorer backgrounds (or Liverpool) are oppressed but essentially well meaning and good.

The other thing I disliked is the ending. I don't want to spoil it, but I would have expected something more gruesome and tragic. The ending felt forced and, in my view, was the least believable part of the story. It's a shame. Some inspiration from Shakespeare would have been amazing here.

Finally, overall it felt rushed and immature. The writing came across as jittery and lacking emotional depth and complexity. The dialogues, the relationships, and the backstories were just too simplistic, and character development, while not entirely missing, was superficial.

Overall - I'd say it's a miss. There's nothing here that stands out, and, frankly, if you want to explore the irony of how the publishing or theatre world works, Yellowface is that much better. The author clearly has talent, but this book is a bit like an unripe fruit. You see what it could have become, but maybe the author needs a few more years of experience.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is a long and rambling story, which begins with an interesting conceit even if it is a little contrived. Hugo Smith, bored with his job in the city, meets up with Eddie in a café. Eddie, also known as Naledi Moruakgomo, is a frustrated playwright who faces constant rejections. So, Hugo masquerades as the author of her play, Great Belonging, which goes on to win awards and critical success.

It’s kind of a good idea and it highlights the difficulties faced by writers from any culture without a track record but the story then goes off into a series of complicated subplots involving other people and loses its way.

Worse still, all of the chapters are told in the second person so Hugo writes about Eddie as ‘you’ and Eddie writes about Hugo. It kind of mirrors the deceit but it limits insights and is sometimes simply downright confusing.

In the end, the plot is revealed, the awards are given back and Eddie finds fame in magazine journalism but it’s been a difficult ride with odd diversions. Having said that I think that some readers, sympathetic to the content, will love it.

Naledi, or Eddie, is by all accounts due to be a brilliant playwright. She finished uni top of her class and has since written a play that she thinks is excellent. Unfortunately she just can’t seem to get anywhere with agents.

One afternoon she meets Hugo in a cafe & the two get to talking about theatre. A year later they reconnect via social media and hatch a plan to get Eddie’s play onto the stage.

Eddie is convinced that her non-white name is causing the majority white agents to not even give her play a second look. Which, deeply believable. A great irony when the play is about the immigrant experience. She asks that Hugo pretend the play is his own to see if it is accepted. It is. And it’s successful. Then things spiral.

The premise of this sounds so excellent! I just don’t think if the execution lived up. It feels like a good portion in the middle of the book goes nowhere? They end up with the successful play and what? Kind of blow up their own lives instead of exposing the theatre world? To me it was gravely unsatisfying.

I also did not like the writing style. It isn’t epistolary but it’s told from Eddie & Hugo’s perspectives as though they are writing to each other? I thought it was quite distracting. Really sad I didn’t love this as much as I’d hoped!

Eddie is a brilliant playwright. But in 2017 London, being a black woman closes every door in her face. Hugo is white, rich, and bored. When they strike up an unlikely friendship, they hatch a scheme to bring the theatre world to its knees: Hugo will claim Eddie's play as his own, and watch as he's offered every opportunity she wasn't. But nothing is ever that simple.

I loved the premise of this book and for the first 50% was completely engrossed. The characters felt completely believable and I couldn't wait to see what happened. But then I felt like it completely fizzled out... (minor spoiler) the play is put on and then... nothing happens? They seem to have no further plan and I cannot understand what Eddie wants to get out of this or how she lets things continue. What is the goal? It goes from being a propulsive exploration of race in theatre to just watching her wait around for an argument that never really starts. I was really disappointed by the end of this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I found this to be very slow and dull until about half way through. It does pick up a bit then but all in all I did not enjoy it very much.

I did not like the writing style, the story is told by both Eddie and Hugo but each one writes as if they are directly addressing the other one. To me their voices were indistinguishable and I could not always get immediately who was the narrator and who was the "you".. I found all the characters rather flat. There is a lot of deception and betrayal but it all seemed rather unlikely and mundane to me.

It is possible that I have missed the point of the book so I will put my 2.5 up to 3.

Eddie and Hugo are physical opposites but they make a powerful team that gets Eddie's work published and produced and Hugo onto the stage. And then....This is told from both of their perspectives. It's very much about prejudice in the arts world and, unfortunately, it's being published in the immediate wake of By Any Other Name which is focused on misogyny in the world of the stage. Jay has created two very good characters, has a distinctive and incisive writing style, and has made me eager to read more. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.