Another "Katabasis" thought: both main characters hide behind a stereotype, I think.

Alice is deeply depressed and traumatized. She uses the Asian-American do-gooder who is after gold stars as a mask.

Peter has a disabling condition and varying number of spoons. He uses the scatterbrained, otherworldly genius as a mask.

Both don't even let their best friends see behind that mask until they've literally been through hell together.

#Katabasis

That's certainly possible. But could she, would she choose to, mask as a carefree, scatterbrained genius? I am not sure.

Genius without effort is so strongly male-coded I can't see her getting away with it. People would tell her to dress differently. They would talk about her being unprofessional and awkward and not a good fit.

So, gender-swapping "Katabasis"? Not completely, I think.

(3/n, n=3)

#Katabasis

Ach, come on. Now the draft is finished: my (spoilery, so under a CN they go) thoughts on gender-swapping Alice and Peter, the two grad students venturing into the underworld in R.F. Kuang's "Katabasis".

Alice could be Al, I think. Asian-American boy with loving parents, a drive to succeed and a fascination for Old Europe. He comes to England and deals with racism, imposter syndrome, stereotyping.

(1/n)

#Katabasis

When he's groomed and assaulted by his advisor, he's on his own not because he should've known better, but because this doesn't happen to men. He tells no one, spirals into depression until he breaks.

Yeah, that works. Needs work not to tap into anti-gay bigotry but can be done.

And Peter, could he be Petra (with maybe a more stereotypically English first name)? A chronically ill woman who doesn't tell anyone because she doesn't want to be seen as weak?

(2/n)

#Katabasis