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victoriathuyvi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
wanderinggoy's review against another edition
1.0
I really wanted to finish this book, but at page 277 I simply couldn’t take it any longer.
Read with me.
Baldy Li stopped and asked unhappily, “Lin Hong, what are you doing? What kind of flirting is this?”
“Who is flirting with you?” Lin Hong was so angry that her entire body started shaking. “You ugly toad.”
As she was saying this she quickly walked away. Baldy Li, having been called an ugly toad, stood there staring resentfully at Lin Hong as she disappeared. He began to walk away himself but then remembered how her parents had also called him an ugly toad and a pile of cow dung, and he cursed, “Your dad is an ugly toad, and your mom is a pile of cow dung. Fuck!”
Baldy Li returned home looking like a defeated rooster in a cockfight. Disconsolate, he sat down, then furiously pounded the table while wiping the sweat from his brow.
This is how it goes, page after page after page. I’m sure the translators haven’t done the book any favours, but this must be the most poorly-written text I’ve read in years. How did this get shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize?
I suppose I’ll have to find another way of learning more about China’s recent history. Any suggestions?
Read with me.
Baldy Li stopped and asked unhappily, “Lin Hong, what are you doing? What kind of flirting is this?”
“Who is flirting with you?” Lin Hong was so angry that her entire body started shaking. “You ugly toad.”
As she was saying this she quickly walked away. Baldy Li, having been called an ugly toad, stood there staring resentfully at Lin Hong as she disappeared. He began to walk away himself but then remembered how her parents had also called him an ugly toad and a pile of cow dung, and he cursed, “Your dad is an ugly toad, and your mom is a pile of cow dung. Fuck!”
Baldy Li returned home looking like a defeated rooster in a cockfight. Disconsolate, he sat down, then furiously pounded the table while wiping the sweat from his brow.
This is how it goes, page after page after page. I’m sure the translators haven’t done the book any favours, but this must be the most poorly-written text I’ve read in years. How did this get shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize?
I suppose I’ll have to find another way of learning more about China’s recent history. Any suggestions?
acubens's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Histoire de deux frères et d'un bourg chinois qui parcourent 2 décennies de changement et évolution
Assez divertissant
Quelques longueurs et facilités cela reste un livre de 980 pages
Assez divertissant
Quelques longueurs et facilités cela reste un livre de 980 pages
rhdj's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
All'inizio di questo romanzo vengono presentati una serie di personaggi e situazioni comico-grottesche, con uno stile scanzonato e irriverente. Ricorda le vignette dei fumetti satirici, dove le azioni/reazioni sono volutamente esasperate e tutti i personaggi sono caricature, a partire dal protagonista dall'emblematico nome Li Testapelata. Poi, in maniera secondo me molto misurata e intelligente, in questo affresco cartoonesco si insinua la Rivoluzione Culturale cinese, con i suoi orrori e la sua violenza. Il tono resta lo stesso ma i contenuti diventano progressivamente più oscuri, favorendo un senso di straniamento e fascinazione nel lettore. Ho trovato soprattutto impressionante la rappresentazione del popolo cinese: le persone che guardano le atrocità accadere, con la risata sempre in bocca, come se non si rendessero conto che il dolore e la disgrazia prima o poi toccano a tutti. Sono figure demoniache nella loro cattiveria spassionata. Si potrebbe pensare che sia inverosimile, ma nel contesto fumettistico di questo libro per me ci sta molto.
Fin qui era tutto molto bello, ma arriva il climax della narrazione. Una scena di violenza inaudita e gratuita. Io stavo per mettermi a piangere dalla commozione ma mi sono fermata in tempo. La mia emozione era passata ma la scena continuava, e continuava, e continuava... Da lì in poi è stata una scivolata nella pura pornografia del dolore e torture porn. Una cosa che è diventata vomitevole dopo un po', insopportabile non in senso positivo. Io ho lo stomaco molto forte e non mi scandalizzo facilmente, ma dopo pagine e pagine di descrizioni minuziose di pestaggi, torture, ferite infette e purulente, omicidi, suicidi, dolori fisici e psicologici ecc... non ce la facevo più. Vi avviso, è davvero una fetta grossa del romanzo quella dedicata a questa roba. Per me esagerata e innecessaria.
Il finale ha risollevato un pochino la situazione, ma comunque resta la volontà di scioccare ed emozionare il lettore per forza. I momenti di sofferenza sono prolungati fino allo sfinimento, così tanto da perdere, per me, tutta la loro potenza.
Non so se leggerò il seguito, mo ci penso.
Fin qui era tutto molto bello, ma arriva il climax della narrazione. Una scena di violenza inaudita e gratuita. Io stavo per mettermi a piangere dalla commozione ma mi sono fermata in tempo. La mia emozione era passata ma la scena continuava, e continuava, e continuava... Da lì in poi è stata una scivolata nella pura pornografia del dolore e torture porn. Una cosa che è diventata vomitevole dopo un po', insopportabile non in senso positivo. Io ho lo stomaco molto forte e non mi scandalizzo facilmente, ma dopo pagine e pagine di descrizioni minuziose di pestaggi, torture, ferite infette e purulente, omicidi, suicidi, dolori fisici e psicologici ecc... non ce la facevo più. Vi avviso, è davvero una fetta grossa del romanzo quella dedicata a questa roba. Per me esagerata e innecessaria.
Il finale ha risollevato un pochino la situazione, ma comunque resta la volontà di scioccare ed emozionare il lettore per forza. I momenti di sofferenza sono prolungati fino allo sfinimento, così tanto da perdere, per me, tutta la loro potenza.
Non so se leggerò il seguito, mo ci penso.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty
mldias's review against another edition
5.0
High comedy, high tragedy. Urban sprawl. The preparation of a city for the National Virgin Beauty Competition (otherwise known as the Hymen Olympics), not dissimilar to the preparation of Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. Scoundrel-turned-tycoon Baldy Li, spectacle-turned-loving-wife-turned-nymphomaniac-turned-madam Lin Hong, and then the faithful, terminally unlucky (and often pathetic) Song Gang. The real "romance" in this novel is the stormy relationship between stepbrothers Baldy Li and Song Gang. The center of the love triangle is not ultimately Lin Hong, but Song Gang, who is torn between the two for much of the story.
The deaths of Baldy Li's mother and Song Gang's father set the stage for the rest of the story. On her deathbed, Baldy Li's mother tells Song Gang that he must always take care of his younger brother, and he promises that he will give the last grain of rice in his bowl to Baldy Li. He only breaks this promise once: when he marries Lin Hong, whom Baldy Li has humiliated and stalked for years despite her lack of interest.
Also of interest: the theme of impotence. The brazen Baldy Li undergoes a vasectomy after learning that his beloved Lin Hong, whom he spent years humiliating after peeping her backside in a public bathroom, has married the quiet, sensitive Song Gang. Song Gang himself is impotent, never giving his wife a baby or, as we later find out, much sex at all. His impotence is not just sexual, but universal--he is unable to assert himself in relationships, and unable to provide for himself or his wife.
Moreover, Song Gang is a gender-ambiguous character, more often than not landing in feminine territory. We watch him assemble strands of flowers to sell in a basket to Liu Town women, and even undergo breast augmentation surgery to help sell Wandering Zhao's "Boobs" cream. For several chapters, he walks around town with D-cup breasts, and has moderate success selling the product. It is patently absurd. We, the readers, are embarrassed for him--not to mention irritated that he is so submissive to his wayward business partner Zhao that he would mutilate himself this way.
This story chalks much up to fate, emphasizing several times, "'If you are fated to have only fifteen ounces of rice in this life, then even if you go away to seek your fortune, you still won't end up a with full pound.'" So perhaps Song Gang's tragic fate "est écrit dans les étoiles", as the French would say (my choice of expression here will make sense when you read the last page of the book). Or perhaps he is simply too passive, too self-sacrificing to mirror Baldy Li's rampant material successes.
The deaths of Baldy Li's mother and Song Gang's father set the stage for the rest of the story. On her deathbed, Baldy Li's mother tells Song Gang that he must always take care of his younger brother, and he promises that he will give the last grain of rice in his bowl to Baldy Li. He only breaks this promise once: when he marries Lin Hong, whom Baldy Li has humiliated and stalked for years despite her lack of interest.
Also of interest: the theme of impotence. The brazen Baldy Li undergoes a vasectomy after learning that his beloved Lin Hong, whom he spent years humiliating after peeping her backside in a public bathroom, has married the quiet, sensitive Song Gang. Song Gang himself is impotent, never giving his wife a baby or, as we later find out, much sex at all. His impotence is not just sexual, but universal--he is unable to assert himself in relationships, and unable to provide for himself or his wife.
Moreover, Song Gang is a gender-ambiguous character, more often than not landing in feminine territory. We watch him assemble strands of flowers to sell in a basket to Liu Town women, and even undergo breast augmentation surgery to help sell Wandering Zhao's "Boobs" cream. For several chapters, he walks around town with D-cup breasts, and has moderate success selling the product. It is patently absurd. We, the readers, are embarrassed for him--not to mention irritated that he is so submissive to his wayward business partner Zhao that he would mutilate himself this way.
This story chalks much up to fate, emphasizing several times, "'If you are fated to have only fifteen ounces of rice in this life, then even if you go away to seek your fortune, you still won't end up a with full pound.'" So perhaps Song Gang's tragic fate "est écrit dans les étoiles", as the French would say (my choice of expression here will make sense when you read the last page of the book). Or perhaps he is simply too passive, too self-sacrificing to mirror Baldy Li's rampant material successes.
bahoulie's review against another edition
3.0
I found the tone of this book quite confusing. Early on the book was supposed to be funny and the tone worked for that. After, many awful things happened, but the tone was still identical to the comedic parts. Also, people's motivation didn't make sense to me - perhaps because I don't understand Chinese people. I couldn't understand how one brother could be so selfish or how people were rarely honest with even those closest to them.
I read this in a book group and we couldn't have had a larger disparity in people's reaction. Two people actually hated it and thought it was the worst book they'd ever read, and several people loved it. The best thing anybody said about the book was that Song Gang represented "Old China," Baldy Li represented "New China," and Lin Hong was the only character who really spanned all the ways in which China behaved through her life.
I read this in a book group and we couldn't have had a larger disparity in people's reaction. Two people actually hated it and thought it was the worst book they'd ever read, and several people loved it. The best thing anybody said about the book was that Song Gang represented "Old China," Baldy Li represented "New China," and Lin Hong was the only character who really spanned all the ways in which China behaved through her life.
florismeertens's review against another edition
Het voelt alsof Yu Hua met 'Broers' de Grote Chinese Moderne Roman heeft willen schrijven; het boek spant van de Culturele Revolutie tot 2005, en probeert de historische veranderingen te beschrijven aan de hand van twee broers en andere kleurrijke personages uit het stadje Liuzhen. Hierbij wordt continu verwezen naar de Chinese cultuur (zowel traditioneel als modern), zodat het lijkt alsof het boek alomvattende pretenties heeft.
Door deze periode van modernisering in stroomversnelling (in het nawoord zegt Yu Hua dat China in 40 jaar dezelfde ontwikkelingen heeft ondergaan dan Europa in 400) zijn er gelukkig nog enkele dingen die altijd blijven bestaan: opportunisme, wreedheid, vulgariteit en vrouwonvriendelijkheid.
Waar een van de andere grote namen in de Chinese literatuur, Mo Yan, dit allemaal grotesk beschrijft, is Yu Hua's stijl eerder cartoonesk: bij het lezen hoor je hem bijna gniffelen om zijn overdreven karakterschetsen en bizarre verhaallijnen.
Dit gaat soms wel iets te ver naar mijn smaak, en er is ook flink wat herhaling. Plotontwikkelingen die je van mijlenver ziet aankomen, nemen lang de tijd. Twee van de hoofdrollen, Song Gang en Lin Hong, vind ik later in het boek handelen op een manier die niet in overeenstemming is met het personage.
Toch is het zeker een vermakelijk boek, en weet het goed de ontwikkelingen van China de afgelopen halve eeuw schertsend te beschrijven. Voor mensen die denken dat censuur de Chinese literaire wereld volledig in zijn greep heeft: lees dit boek. Deze man is lid van de Schrijversbond, verkoopt miljoenen exemplaren en schrijft satire over zowel maoïstisch als hedendaags China.
Door deze periode van modernisering in stroomversnelling (in het nawoord zegt Yu Hua dat China in 40 jaar dezelfde ontwikkelingen heeft ondergaan dan Europa in 400) zijn er gelukkig nog enkele dingen die altijd blijven bestaan: opportunisme, wreedheid, vulgariteit en vrouwonvriendelijkheid.
Waar een van de andere grote namen in de Chinese literatuur, Mo Yan, dit allemaal grotesk beschrijft, is Yu Hua's stijl eerder cartoonesk: bij het lezen hoor je hem bijna gniffelen om zijn overdreven karakterschetsen en bizarre verhaallijnen.
Dit gaat soms wel iets te ver naar mijn smaak, en er is ook flink wat herhaling. Plotontwikkelingen die je van mijlenver ziet aankomen, nemen lang de tijd. Twee van de hoofdrollen, Song Gang en Lin Hong, vind ik later in het boek handelen op een manier die niet in overeenstemming is met het personage.
Toch is het zeker een vermakelijk boek, en weet het goed de ontwikkelingen van China de afgelopen halve eeuw schertsend te beschrijven. Voor mensen die denken dat censuur de Chinese literaire wereld volledig in zijn greep heeft: lees dit boek. Deze man is lid van de Schrijversbond, verkoopt miljoenen exemplaren en schrijft satire over zowel maoïstisch als hedendaags China.
zedulo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jacinthe_l's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0