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baibai's review
4.0
felt a bit like a fever dream still trying to comprehend what i just read, it was very good though and i wish i could have read the chinese version, wish the translation had annotations explaining which texts the excepts came from.
areaxbiologist's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
corvidquest's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
3.75
I initially found this slow going, but realized I didn't know enough about the Cultural Revolution to get all the jokes. I read up on it, putting the novel on hold, and I'm glad I did. The text came alive right away and I found it hilarious and compelling. The erotic revolutionary zeal of the couple at the heart of the novel is a riot.
lynleybidlake's review
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, and Infidelity
Minor: War and Suicide
doric's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Murder, Sexual content, and Suicide
mmmmmm's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mkcully's review
challenging
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
a_serpent_with_corners's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
An irreverent take on 'revolution plus love' stories in which sexual and revolutionary fervour are indistinguishable. This seems to be a particular interest of Yan's - I haven't read Serve the People, but the premise doesn't seem like it's a million miles away from this.
I found it compelling to read - it's written in synaesthesiac, propaganda-flavoured prose and Aijun's ludicrous posturing is generally amusing. However, it's ultimately telling the same joke for over 400 pages, so I found there were diminishing returns on the humour to some extent.
Strangely, you almost do begin to believe in the love story at the centre of the novel, and I found myself almost - but not quite - rooting for our unscrupulous heroes.
I think part of what makes this possible is the almost cartoonish way that the physical and ideological violence of the Cultural Revolution is depicted. In that sense, it may have something in common with some of Yu Hua's parodic short stories - I'm thinking especially of Nineteen Eighty-Six, as well as the violence in many of his other works from the '80s. But whereas those were disorientating dismemberments of genre, Yan's novel uses its ludicrous violence for more straightforward satire. If there is ambiguity in the novel, I suppose it comes from how you see the romance between the central couple.
I found it compelling to read - it's written in synaesthesiac, propaganda-flavoured prose and Aijun's ludicrous posturing is generally amusing. However, it's ultimately telling the same joke for over 400 pages, so I found there were diminishing returns on the humour to some extent.
Strangely, you almost do begin to believe in the love story at the centre of the novel, and I found myself almost - but not quite - rooting for our unscrupulous heroes.
I think part of what makes this possible is the almost cartoonish way that the physical and ideological violence of the Cultural Revolution is depicted. In that sense, it may have something in common with some of Yu Hua's parodic short stories - I'm thinking especially of Nineteen Eighty-Six, as well as the violence in many of his other works from the '80s. But whereas those were disorientating dismemberments of genre, Yan's novel uses its ludicrous violence for more straightforward satire. If there is ambiguity in the novel, I suppose it comes from how you see the romance between the central couple.
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Violence, Infidelity, and Confinement
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