3 ms·
I've been told it's how modern Chinese novels are written. To a Western reader, it reads like juvenile fiction. The language is childishly simple, and all of th
by atombender 6y ago
I've been told it's how modern Chinese novels are written. To a Western reader, it reads like juvenile fiction. The language is childishly simple, and all of the character's inner live — motivations and emotions and thoughts — are spelled out rather than inferred, and there's little no depth or ambiguity anywhere. I liked the historical context, but I found the whole thing to be very wooden and unimaginative.
I finished the first book, but I couldn't deal with it either. I think it could have worked terrifically if it had been written in a satirical style like Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s The Sirens of Titan. Some of the chapters about the aliens do come across like Vonnegutian comedy, but I'm not sure if this was intended. Overall, the book takes itself very seriously.
- koheripbal 6y agoMaybe the point is to spell out the core narratives so that the reader can build on it themselves? I'm not one for subtlety if it doesn't add any insight.
- Paperweight 6y agoI doubt their state education system is full of literature teachers who encourage a lot of looking past the surface narrative of things.
- Ar-Curunir 6y agoLol love the casual racism
- mcv 6y agoIt doesn't have to be racism. It could be a reflection on the fact that China has a totalitarian state with strong censorship. Hidden subtexts are hard to censor.
- dekhn 6y agoHere's an interesting perspective on the english translation: https://www.wired.com/2016/10/wired-book-club-ken-liu-interview/ https://www.wired.com/2016/10/wired-book-club-ken-liu-interv...