A review by somebodysnick
In the Face of Death We Are Equal by Mu Cao

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beautifully tragic stories that are unfortunately common narratives for rural or poor communities the world over, with the added difficulty of being gay in a society that doesn't condone while half heartedly looking the other way...but sometimes suffering is JUST THAT suffering, until you die, whether or not you find solace in the small breaks in suffering or the companionship along the journey is for each person to decide themselves. Sidenote (while I am no longer HSK6/7 fluent and out of practice, the word choice in translation was often jarring to me, the use of 2nd person so much was clunky and difficult to stay in empathy with the characters and narrative when the language itself is a barrier...the irony of ENGLISH being the barrier is worth a chuckle...but I am going to find an original copy and compare for my sanity)
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