This satire touches on a subject that we as literature enthusiasts tend to push far, far away from our cozy realm that embraces stories as windows to This satire touches on a subject that we as literature enthusiasts tend to push far, far away from our cozy realm that embraces stories as windows to other worlds, as noble means to connect and empathize: Kuang writes about the publishing industry as a capitalist machine trying to turn authors into narratives, and thus: products, that we as readers want to consume because they align with our self-image, convictions and self-presentation. Yes, Kuang laughs about us readers, and what can I say, her story IS hilarious.
Enter protagonist Juniper "June" Song Hayward, an unsuccessful young writer, who witnesses her frenemy Athena Liu die in a freak accident in her home. June calls an ambulance, but she also steals a manuscript from the acclaimed literary shooting star Athena, and, you guessed it, publishes it as her own, to great success. The catch: Athena was Chinese-American (like R.F. Kuang), while June is white (her second name Song was given to her by her hippie mother), but still misleading the public not only regarding the real authorship of the "The Last Front" about Chinese soldiers in WW I, but also regarding her heritage.
What renders Kuang's novel so fun is that it combines an unreliable narrator that speaks directly to readers, trying to justify her actions and constantly contradicting herself, with the idea that our reality is constantly framed by narratives, and how we react and contribute to it. Publishers are shown as business people trying to track down and package new products, and both Athena and June are marketed to us, the consumers of - wait for it! - high literature, so they must seem authentic, tackle a socially important topic in a way that offends no one, and be accessible - in short, they shall be attractive for the Booker Prize, the GoodReads audience, The New York Times, and Netflix (all mentioned, as well as many other celebrities and companies). And Kuang's satire is right on.
At the same time, this is a text about the human urge to belong, to defy loneliness and to be seen, and, from a feminist perspective, also a rather sober comment on the lack of female solidarity. June, our narrator, shifts her arguments, shows how she packages this story for us readers, in order to be seen and / or liked - is she the bad guy who stole her POC friend's voice, or is she, in a twist of faith, actually the victim? The fact that Chinese-American author R.F. Kuang, a literary wunderkind in her own right, crafted this wicked spectacle, led me to ponder what she must have experienced, and adds another layer to the story.
A smart, hilarious pageturner (I read the whole thing in a day) and a great novel to talk about with your friends. You can listen to us discuss it on the podcast (in German) here: https://papierstaupodcast.de/podcast/......more
I love the unsettling, uncanny atmosphere of this wonderfully disturbing feminist novel about grief: Song Yan is haunted by her past dream of becomingI love the unsettling, uncanny atmosphere of this wonderfully disturbing feminist novel about grief: Song Yan is haunted by her past dream of becoming a concert painist, which she traded for becoming a wife - music was her home, now she hopes her husband will be just that. But when her mother-in-law moves in, Song Yan gradually discovers that she never really knew her husband, that he carries traumas and secrets (including an ex-wife and a kid, while he refuses to have a child with Song Yan). While the marriage becomes more and more precarious, Song Yan mysteriously receives a letter from her father's favorite concert pianist who was presumed death, and she starts to play again. And then there are the deliveries with different mushrooms that appear at her door, as well as a talking orange mushroom that manifests in her dreams...
While I struggled with her debut Braised Pork, I really enjoyed how An Yu amps up the weird in this deeply humane novel that relates each plot development to freaking fungi: They seduce the mother-in-law to spill secrets, they help Song Yan ponder her identity, and they suddenly grow in apartments, letting the line between reality and hallucination oscillate. There is a The Vegetarian feminist vibe involved, as Song Yan tries (and partly really wants to be) the traditional Chinese wife she is expected to evolve into, but the music at the core of her identity is a ghost she cannot shake, she cannot replace it as a partner in this symbiosis.
I was intrigued how complex the plot is crafted, how the imagery is open to different readings, and that Song Yan is not simply a victim of society, but a messy individual that often makes the reader wonder how intimately she knows (and can know) the inner workings of her soul, and that of the people around her. The enigmatic star painist that re-appears is searching for the sound of being alive, and composer and mushroom enthusiast John Cage is invoked, who famously knew about the sonic resonance of silence (see: John Cage: A Mycological Foray / Silence: Lectures and Writings). Alas, what can the silences of the characters in the novel reveal about their grief, about the absences and ghosts they wrestle with?
Interestingly, Icelandic artist Björk has recently released a "mushroom album" (her words), Fossora, which is, of course, great. The album also deals with grief, in this case the passing of her mother. Nevertheless, she explains that her "fungus period has been fun and bubbly" and stresses the connection to the soil and the unruly nature of wildly growing, various fungi - also an interesting foil to read An Yu's novel, and see the fungi as creative, resistant forces of hope.
An exciting novel, that should get some award recognition for its daring, weird nature and its sovereign refusal to neatly answer all questions it asks....more
The author of Severance is back with a collection of eight stories, and her best entries are the extremely weird ones, starting with the opening text The author of Severance is back with a collection of eight stories, and her best entries are the extremely weird ones, starting with the opening text about a woman living with her husband and her 100 ex-boyfriends. Ling Ma's world is haunted by all kinds of ghosts, many of them prompted by the immigrant experience and female realities, and it's her witty, often dark playfulness that make her angle so absorbing: From a young wife who joins her husband in his journey to his home country of Garboza (outside the novel non-existent, but somehow pointing to...Star Wars?) where she gets abandoned at the airport to old frenemies taking a rather unusual drug.
More conventional tales like "Peking Duck"about the intergenerational effects of migration aren't bad, but Ling Ma shines when she goes all out, intersecting the underlying grimness of her themes with humorous remarks and small tidbits that throw readers off.
A fun collection, but I can't wait for this author's next novel....more
English: Land of Big Numbers I greatly enjoyed Te-Ping Chen's debut collection of ten short stories that depict contemporary China and Chinese emigrantEnglish: Land of Big Numbers I greatly enjoyed Te-Ping Chen's debut collection of ten short stories that depict contemporary China and Chinese emigrants in the West (with a few ventures into magical realism). Authoritarianism and the intergenerational trauma attached to it, the wish to achieve a higher standard of living, the strife for freedom and justice - Chen often contrasts young people who hold on to ideals with older ones who have been disillusioned, she shows different scenarios in which her protagonists endure continued emotional strain and ponders the effects of dreams and desires that turn into a burden. What is a chimera, what is worth fighting for, and how?
I particularly enjoyed the intricate descriptions of complex psychological dilemmas, e.g. in the story of activist Lulu and her twin brother, a pro-gamer, the story of a lonely woman from the provinces who works in a flower shop in Shanghai, or the tale about a young woman who marries an enigmatic Chinese immigrant with a terrible secret. While the English original of the book is titled after a story about a young man in provincial China who employs illegal methods to speculate at the stock market ("Land of Big Numbers"), the German translation is titled after another one that deals with a Chinese nurse who is trapped in an unhappy relationship in Tucson ("Beautful Country", translated as "Isn't it beautiful here"). . A very worthwhile read, full of well-crafted details. I'd love to read a novel by this author. You can learn more about the collection in our latest podcast episode (in German). ...more
Xiaowei Wang is a Chinese-American artist, researcher and activist working on technology-related issues. In this book, they describe their travels thrXiaowei Wang is a Chinese-American artist, researcher and activist working on technology-related issues. In this book, they describe their travels through the Chinese countryside, searching for the sources and consequences of technological innovation. While it's interesting how they dissolve the myth of the conservative countryside, it's even more interesting how they confront non-Chinese readers with their prejudices only to illustrate how stupid these cliches actually are, and how close Western technological realities are to those in China. In eight essays, Wang talks about the surveillance state and surveillance capitalism, eCommerce and digital multi-level-schemes, social media and influencers, the title-giving chicken farm that uses blockchain to improve food safety, and some other economic and social implications of technology in rural China.
I liked how the author puts economic phenomena in perspective with an intersectional approach: They are Han Chinese-American, traveling between big cities and rural areas, talking with tech specialists and workers, young people and old people, always trying to measure both the chances and dangers of digital innovation. And they also open up the big perspective: What kind of world do we want to live in, and what does that mean for the way we build and use technology? What opportunities and threats does technology bring for social justice?
Unfortunately, I'm not a tech specialist, but the texts are easily accessible, and the social dimensions are way more important than the details of technological processes. This is an intriguing read for anyone interested in the development of digital technologies and how they can change the face of societies. Plus there are some "Sinofuturist" recipes in the book, so readers can find new ways to engineer their food! ;-)...more
This novella is the last fictional piece Eileen Chang, one of the most important modern Chinese authors, finished before her lonely death in Los AngelThis novella is the last fictional piece Eileen Chang, one of the most important modern Chinese authors, finished before her lonely death in Los Angeles in 1995. The text is a roman-à-clef, a veiled memoir about her youth in an elite boarding school in Shanghai and about a friendship that was formed there, told alternately with vignettes taken from the later lives of the girls, their careers and relationships. Zhao Jue (Eileen Chang's alter ego) and Enjuan are affected both by random destiny, but also by Chinese history, like the Japanese occupation and the fight between nationalists and communists.
Chang evokes the atmosphere of the time by frequently referring to the meaning of the dialects spoken, the clothes worn by the characters, the relationships between genders and the changing attitudes towards concepts like status and success. Dire events are contrasted with sarcastic remarks (e.g. "That the Chinese Communists had the atom bomb was particularly lauded by people with complexes"), and when the friends meet again in the US, the American Dream is tinged by their expat experience. The narrative style is fractured, showcasing the author as a cornerstone of modern Chinese literature.
An interesting book, but a hard one to decipher if you're not exactly familiar with Chinese history - which does not speak against the author, of course, but rather, it is an invitation to learn more about the history and literature of China. It's important to do some research in order to grasp the full extent of historical and political implications that are conveyed through the story of the two friends, for instance about the occupation of Shanghai by the Japanese in 1937 and the victory of the communists in 1949.
If you'd like to learn more about the novella and Chinese literature in general, you can listen to our podcast episode (in German)....more
Listen, I really like books that are riddles, that offer me motifs and clues which I have to piece together in order to grasp what’s going on or what Listen, I really like books that are riddles, that offer me motifs and clues which I have to piece together in order to grasp what’s going on or what it all means. My main issue with this novel is that An Yu provides her readers with tons of dead ends, with scenes and objects which seem meaningful at first and then lead nowhere, and that the picture that does come together in the end is vague and ornamental – to me, that makes for a frustrating read. But if you are the kind of reader who enjoys being perplexed, who is up for being immersed in a magical world of melancholy and subconscious emotional movements, than this clearly is the book for you.
Our protagonist is Jia Jia, a young painter living in Beijing whose husband mysteriously drowns in a bath tub, leaving behind a sketch of a fish with the head of a man. Jia Jia and her husband had a marriage of convenience, and the relationships between the characters in the novel will turn out to be the main topic An Yu negotiates throughout an otherwise meandering, completely implausible plot (hello, magical realism and narrative over-construction). Jia Jia begins a relationship with Leo who owns the bar next to her apartment, she witnesses the marriage of one of her clients disintegrate, she meets up with her father and his new wife, she travels to Tibet where she meets a man in search for his wife…you get the idea: An Yu meditates about the oscillation between closeness and detachment, the mystery of human connection. In between, a lot of rather enigmatic stuff happens.
To unlock this text (at least partly), you should pay close attention to the theme of water, and, of course, the role of the fish-man from the sketch mentioned above. Jia Jia has trouble painting waves – now think of all the metaphorical qualities of water, because An Yu will pour them right over you and contextualize this measure with the experiences of people in relationships, especially women who are restrained by societal expectations and gender norms. Jia Jia’s hunt for the meaning of the sketch leads her to Tibet, where An Yu opens up an additional metaphorical space that spans from Jia Jia’s painting of a Buddha in Beijing to Tibetan mysticism, and – say what? – tulips. And no worries: The title-giving “Braised Pork” features as well, and it provides an epiphany of authenticity (don’t ask).
This is certainly a daring book because it does not cater to the expectations of the reader, but I have to admit that I found the text often quite exasperating. The meanings that are provided remain vague and thus certainly can’t be called particularly profound. On the other hand, the floating (!) nature of the text and its messages is part of the whole point. So this debut (which was sold in a 7-way-auction) is for readers with a high tolerance for associative writing and perplexing plotlines, which means I’m not the ideal reader for this novel....more
Now Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction 2020 You have to applaud Yu for crafting a unique narrative set-up: His novel merges the storyline ofNow Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction 2020 You have to applaud Yu for crafting a unique narrative set-up: His novel merges the storyline of a TV crime procedural with the life of a young man who by his surroundings is only perceived as the "Generic Asian Man" - he is an actor trying to get a role beyond that of a clichéd Asian person, but he is also forced into the role of "Generic Asian Man" in real life. The whole effect is surreal and brilliantly conveying the strange loops in which a person who is reduced to a stereotype is trapped - certainly, the whole TV/actor part of the book can also be read as strictly metaphorical. Yu cleverly plays out his ideas by writing parts of the book in the form of a movie script, and the whole novel is typed in Courier (the font used in scripts).
The protagonist, Willis Wu, is perpetually living in an "Interior Chinatown", a prison of perceptions in which he is trapped - and he is not even Chinese, he is, like the author, of Taiwanese descent (the point of course being that all of Asia is frequently seen as monolithic). While Wu works hard and has the ambition to make something of himself, his range of paragons is limited by what Western society allows him to be, and breaking free of his role of "Generic Asian Man" to become "Kung Fu Guy" only means to conform to another stereotype - what is he to do to break the mold in an averse environment? How can he find himself, find happiness?
Apart from giving us Wu's perspective in interior monologue, Yu reflects contemporary American society and its cultural projections by inventig storylines for the police procedural "Black and White", featuring a clichéd woman and a clichéd black man who play the detectives - you get the idea: One is black and one is white, but the series also paints reality in black and white. Where is the Asian representation, what is Wu's role? And how do minorities, employed to project diversity, act towards each other? Yu's narration breaks down the barrier between reality and the fictional series within the novel, and everyone is forced to act constantly, cast in a movie they never volunteered to be in.
Now all of this is brilliantly thought out and highly inventive, but as the storyline is sparse and many parts are highly descriptive, clearly stating narrative puposes and sometimes even bordering on essay writing, the basic idea did not really carry over the whole distance (although the book only has 288 pages). While the repetitiveness is part of the whole point (see: strange loops), it certainly does not help the pacing of the text. But to be fair, this criticism also touches upon the field of personal taste, and I'm sure that many other readers won't mind the points I just addressed.
All in all, Charles Yu wrote a daring, innovative, intelligent book with an important message, and while I wasn't fully immersed in the text, this novel is certainly worth checking out....more
In order to effectively convey the conflict-heavy past and present of China, Korea and Japan, British travel journalist Michael Booth roamed the threeIn order to effectively convey the conflict-heavy past and present of China, Korea and Japan, British travel journalist Michael Booth roamed the three nations (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), visiting historic sights and talking to experts and average residents alike. The result is a text that (consciously) takes a very European view on the various crises and wars that have troubled that part of the world and how governments and electorates are dealing with the consequences today. Readers shouldn't expect a scholarly treatise or a scientific textbook: It's clearly a book directed at a broad audience without much prior knowledge, and it is interspersed with very subjective impressions and personal opinions, but this also means that the text is easily accessible and highly readable.
Booth considers the role of foreign interference and international politics in general, of occupation and colonialism, wars within the region, the politics of history (so how history is dealt with today, e.g. by politicians, in the media or in textbooks), current affairs and possible conflicts in the future. Obviously, there is a lot to unpack, and while the content is not hard to grasp, the reader has to pay close attention and follow Booth when he constantly changes his surroundings and his point of view, which is necessary in order to understand different perceptions within and between nations. Booth also cites several studies and books, among them classics like The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture and non-fiction like Pachinko.
All in all, this is certainly not a book that fulfills the standards of political science (and it does not aim to), but it is an interesting read for everyone who enjoys travel writing that offers a deeper look into the heart of a region....more
Nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2019 Many immigrants become entrepreneurs or workers in the service industry, and this book contemplates whNominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2019 Many immigrants become entrepreneurs or workers in the service industry, and this book contemplates what this version of the "American Dream" can mean: Li's debut centers on the brothers Jimmy and Johnny, the sons of Chinese immigrants, who, after the death of their father, inherit his Chinese restaurant and have very different ideas regarding the future of their business. The decisions they take do not only have consequences for themselves, but also for the rest of their family and the cooks and waiters - the restaurant is shown as a sociotope with its own logic, history and stories, where larger dynamics regarding power and prestige, but also friendship and loyalty are played out in a confined area.
I really liked that core idea, and Li introduces some great characters, like Ah-Jack, the aging waiter, whose body starts to fail him and who tries to navigate the challenges he faces with a peculiar attitude. Unfortunately, the writing is very uneven, and the pacing is off: Often, scenes are unnecessarily elongated, while others remain underexplored (like the Chinese mafioso and the strange power he holds over Jimmy's and Jonny's family - this part of the story is rather unconvincing). The novel shines when it dives into the seemingly mundane aspects of human relationships, the more unusual narrative threads often seem a little lifeless or even contrived.
So all in all, I enjoyed reading the book, as it certainly has some strengths and offers interesting perspectives, but it does not live up to its full potential. I am sure though that Lillian Li will come up with stronger texts in the future - this writer does have talent, and she is only getting started....more
Shortlisted for the German Book Prize 2018 In this vivid historical adventure novel, Sinologist Stephan Thome tells the story of rebel forces which, inShortlisted for the German Book Prize 2018 In this vivid historical adventure novel, Sinologist Stephan Thome tells the story of rebel forces which, influenced by the Christian teachings European missionaries brought to China, try to overthrow the Chinese monarchy in order to establish a theocray. At the same time, the country is in turmoil because England and France are waging war in order to open the country for trade - particularly the opium trade, that is.
The Taiping Rebellion and the Opium Wars really happened, of course, and led to the deaths of 20 - 30 million people. It's hard to argue that this narrative set during the Quing dynasty isn't timely and topical - the parallels to current events couldn't be more obvious. Thome creates a whole panorama of characters from all sides involved, thus illustrating specific belief systems and motivations. The way he describes situations and even sequences of internal thoughts are absorbing - the whole book is addictive. No one in this story is purely good, and everyone is caught up in cultural restrictions; information is always limited, and when it comes to beliefs, the way they are legitimized is at the core of every moral transgression.
I am generally a fan of smart political books, and this clearly is one. Although many events depicted are gruesome and will make you doubt humankind in general (but especially the "barbarians", i.e. the Europeans), this novel is a joy to read, because it is so well crafted. I hope it will be translated....more
In 2012, President Xi Jinping first talked about "the Chinese Dream", a concept that aims to translate the American Dream into Chinese cultural concepIn 2012, President Xi Jinping first talked about "the Chinese Dream", a concept that aims to translate the American Dream into Chinese cultural concepts and, by that, is meant to capture a specifically Chinese version of the strife for success, prosperity and happiness. Author Yan Lianke knows that the line between a dream and a nightmare can be a thin one, and that dreams might give free reign to our subconscious urges and fears. "The Day the Sun Died" is his novel about the Chinese dream, and, as many of Yan Lianke's satirical and critical works, the book has not been published in Mainland China.
Our protagonist is 14-year-old Li Niannian who lives in Gaotian Village (which actually exists) and whose parents own a shop that sells items for funeral rituals. His uncle has become rich as the owner of the local crematorium - the party has forbidden to bury the dead in order to save space, so all bodies must be cremated, and there is money to be earned by reporting those who try to bury their dead anyway. In the story, the cremations produce "corpse oil", which sells for high prices and can be used to keep machines running or to make fertilizer - I guess we don't have to discuss Yan Lianke's attitude towards China's authoritarian regime.
The incident told in the book takes place during one single night during which all inhabitants of the village suddenly start sleepwalking, or "dreamwalking", the word used in the text which better reflects the Chinese expression for the phenomenon. As a consequence, the village drowns in chaos and violence, all kinds of secrets are revealed, and elements of Chinese history are played out in the context of this uprising. The nation's past haunts the villagers, and their individual pasts and urges are exposed while even in the morning, the sun refuses to rise, until Li Niannian's father crafts a shocking plan to bring back the light.
What does the Chinese people really dream of, what nightmares haunt this nation? Often, characters in the book are unsure whether they are awake or dreamwalking - they do not know what is happening anymore, and the horror is often rooted in the injustice they have experienced (like having the graves of their loved ones blown up with dynamite), their own wrongful deeds (like ratting out their neighbours) and the circumstances they are living in (the oppression of the system).
First, I read this tale as purely metaphorical, until I found out that in 1956, Mao announced a “proposal for cremation after death” (he himself was of course not cremated), and that there are really regions in China in which burials are illegal (https://www.theguardian.com/world/201...). Still, the book operates with satire and critcism on many levels, and while it obviously talks about modern China, it also has a lot to say about human nature in general and contemplates how we treat each other under which circumstances. Interestingly, the book also features a character named "Yan Lianke" who is an author (his book titles are puns on the books written by the real Yan Lianke) and who, just like everybody els, is sometimes awake, and sometimes dreamwalking.
The novel has a very specific tone and works with variations of sentence structures, repetition and the juxtaposition of darkness and light as well as heat and cold, which gives the text an unusual feel (but maybe this is only the opinion of a European who doesn't know much about Chinese literature and poetic concepts). A fascinating, impressive read, highly recommended....more
This little book contains excerpts from Xiaolu Guo's novel A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers - a story about a young Chinese woman who tThis little book contains excerpts from Xiaolu Guo's novel A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers - a story about a young Chinese woman who travels to England in order to learn the language and falls in love with a man who is 20 years her senior. The texts are like diary entries written by the protagonist, and they mirror her struggle with the foreign language and customs.
A fun, short read that reminded me of my time in China, where I felt similarly confused! Thanks to the fantastic fellow Goodreaders who sent me this! :-)
When young Peilan Guo gets pregnant, she decides that she does not want to lead a rather poor, restricted and predictable life in her Chinese home vilWhen young Peilan Guo gets pregnant, she decides that she does not want to lead a rather poor, restricted and predictable life in her Chinese home village and leaves for the United States. After her dangerous passage, she ends up an undocumented immigrant in New York City, gives birth to her son Deming and works hard to pay her debts and support her family - until one day, she does not come home from work.
Lisa Ko wrote an extremely well-intentioned book, shining a light on the destiny of illegal immigrants in the United States. Unfortunately, good intentions do not automatically make for good literature, and Ko's book turns out to be rather tame. When 10-year-old Deming is adopted by white college professors, what follows is exactly what you would expect. Furthermore, it makes no sense that it takes Deming, who is a smart guy, more than 10 years to figure out what happened to his mother - it is actually pretty apparent what might have happened to an illegal immigrant.
What is a plus though is that Ko does create believable characters, meaning that they are both subjected to outside conditions and events that they are struggling with, but that they also have deeply human flaws. I appreciate that Ko did not fall into the trap to create passive cardboard characters in order to make a political point.
Nevertheless, I found this a rather unchallenging read. In case you want to read a really impressive book about immigration into the United States, get your hands on Francisco Cantú's The Line Becomes A River....more
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