Gunk Baby
Gunk Baby is a literary fiction work authored by Jamie Marina Lau, marking her second novel following the 2018 release of Pink Mountain on Locust Island.
Plot
Leen, a 24-year-old business owner, establishes an ear-cleaning service within an indoor shopping center. She becomes involved with colleagues who organize pranks targeting management, but as their behavior escalates into aggression, she begins to feel disenchanted.
Development history
The novel Gunk Baby evolved from an unpublished short story, with Lau initiating its creation in 2018 and focusing the narrative on the central character. Lau has characterized the book as a reflection on the colonial condition.
Publication history
The initial publication of Gunk Baby occurred on April 28, 2021, in Australia through Hachette. It was later issued in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2021, by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, followed by its United States release on December 13, 2022, via Astra Publishing House.
Reception
In Australia, Gunk Baby garnered favorable critical acclaim. Declan Fry from The Guardian described it as "a dissociative meditation on a world that has come to feel increasingly cruel and meaningless," commending Lau's writing style. Cher Tan of The Saturday Paper noted Lau's unique voice, drawing comparisons to authors Susan Choi and Ottessa Moshfegh. Upon the book’s introduction to the U.S. market, Publishers Weekly lauded the novel’s first portion but expressed reservations about its conclusion and tempo. Meanwhile, Kirkus Reviews labeled it "funny, bold, capacious, and more than a little exhausting."