A review by _blueberry_pie_
The Four Books by Yan Lianke

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The book started off with a very interesting premise of a re-education camp for intellectuals. It started off feeling a lot like 1984 and Brave New World but in China. I also really liked the Biblical allegory throughout, and how it was written in a style that very much mimicked the Bible. I was hooked throughout, because there was no way to really predict what would happen next. It was all fine until the scene where the author grew ears of wheat and fed the plants his blood and whatnot. Things got a bit whack afterwards. As with any and all survival tale, this too featured cannibalism. It was a good book overall but had some weird moments. That probably had a lot to do with the Biblical allegories. I wasn't a huge fan of the last third of the book. It was okay overall.