Via Armchair Squid.
I thinking I'm going Japanese! I think I'm going Japanese!
No, wait, Chinese. I'm going Chinese! Is there a song for that? Anyway, so obviously I've been reading Chinese literature all month. The book I've actually finished reading is Nobel Prize-winning author Mo Yan's brilliant Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, which tracks the dramatic developments of 1950-2000 from the perspective of a man who is reincarnated into a donkey, an ox, a pig (the longest section), a dog, very briefly a monkey, and then a large-headed child. Those are two big subjects to tackle, the big giant cultural reforms China tackled and reincarnation. Besides Ximen Nao, one-time landlord of Ximen Village, we follow the lives of those he leaves behind and their descendants, their own changing fortunes (though remaining, er, human as they do). Sometimes it's a little like Animal Farm if it was less allegory and more an imaginative tour of history. For a reader like me, very fascinating stuff.
What it does most interestingly, for me, is explore China. I don't know about you, but my practical understanding of China stops short after grasping the bold strokes. It's the major country that has been allowed to remain in its own bubble, mostly out of its own choosing, which remains true to this day, always warily taking small steps to joining the greater global community (at the moment, embracing the Hollywood blockbuster!). I think the massive political (which we think of almost exclusively in its greater Communist context) shift that characterizes the period featured in Life and Death was really all about China realizing for the first time that it was being left behind by the rest of the world, and taking drastic measures to catch up again. Terrible thing to experience personally, but a real test of character, and that, after all, is the mark of the best storytelling. Thankfully someone like Mo Yan comes along to capture the experience perfectly.
I randomly received from my periodic Goodreads Giveaways casting net Old Land, New Tales around the same time I was reading Life and Death. It's a collection of Chinese short stories. I figured I might as well start reading that next, and so that's exactly what I'm doing. As with any collection, some of the stories are more interesting than others, but more to the point, I think it's giving me another look at China, a little deeper, and that's pretty interesting on the whole.
I bought this book! A few months ago, actually, but I haven't read it yet. Thanks for reminding me. I've heard nothing but good things about it. Is this why your background theme is red? ;-) Man, my brain feels like it's going to turn into liquid, with the white text on that red background. Is it just me? It's probably just me.
ReplyDeleteIt's been red for a while. Is it hard to read? I could change it.
DeleteChinese culture is very diverse to my western upbringing. Some of it is quite mystical but some of it seems to be pretty harsh, maybe this book would explain it a bit more to me.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that it would explain Chinese culture in general (Old Land, New Tales maybe comes closer). For that I'd have to do further research into the literature.
DeleteChina and mysteries seem to be this month's themes.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Wild Swans? Highly recommended - heavy and it covers quite a lot ground.
I'll have a look!
DeleteThis sounds like a fascinating read. I've read a couple Chinese history books, (interesting, but a bit dry) but this sounds like a more entertaining approach. Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteNot a problem!
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