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#16: The Bridegroom: stories by Ha Jin
My rating: 3/10
Category: Fiction short stories
A collection of short stories about China in transition, moving from Maoism towards a more open society.
To be honest, the only memorable thing about this book was the fact I didn't notice we'd reached the end of the line at Ealing Broadway where I get off, and we were back at Victoria station before I realised the tube was going the wrong direction. That's no endorsement of the book, merely an example of how engrossed I get when I read.
Overall, these were short, depressing stories about the unforgiving harshness of Chinese bureaucracy & society, and the ugliness of human nature. Despite the differing POV in the stories, they all had a flatness that made them easy to skate over. The language was simplistic, but sadly lacking in the clarity or beauty simplistic language can sometimes show.
I found none of the characters sympathetic, and in most cases, they weren't even accessible. I could tell there were probably deeper processes and lessons to be derived from these stories, but frankly, I couldn't bring myself to care enough to look. Disappointing.
Currently reading: Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman
My rating: 3/10
Category: Fiction short stories
A collection of short stories about China in transition, moving from Maoism towards a more open society.
To be honest, the only memorable thing about this book was the fact I didn't notice we'd reached the end of the line at Ealing Broadway where I get off, and we were back at Victoria station before I realised the tube was going the wrong direction. That's no endorsement of the book, merely an example of how engrossed I get when I read.
Overall, these were short, depressing stories about the unforgiving harshness of Chinese bureaucracy & society, and the ugliness of human nature. Despite the differing POV in the stories, they all had a flatness that made them easy to skate over. The language was simplistic, but sadly lacking in the clarity or beauty simplistic language can sometimes show.
I found none of the characters sympathetic, and in most cases, they weren't even accessible. I could tell there were probably deeper processes and lessons to be derived from these stories, but frankly, I couldn't bring myself to care enough to look. Disappointing.
Currently reading: Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman
