I was so excited to get into a book about a culture and part of the world I know so little of - China. First off, I need to admit that I NEVER read short story collections because I tend to find them a bit shallow. I love diving deep into a character’s psyche, and short stories always seem to come up short for me (yuk yuk yuk). However, I found this one to be the exception: I found each and every story to be complex, interesting, passionate, layered, and filled with symbolism. Many of the stories are based completely in reality and some have some magical realism to them to make a point. My favorite story was one of these slight tongue-in-cheek fantasy stories about a group that was detained on a subway platform for months, waiting to be told they could leave by the attendants. If that isn’t a searing comment on the Chinese government, nothing is.
This was an amazing book that made me see China and all its facets in new ways. I loved it, and would highly recommend.
This was an amazing book that made me see China and all its facets in new ways. I loved it, and would highly recommend.