A review by jayisreading
Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

3.25

A queer classic from Taiwan, Notes of a Crocodile is set in late 1980s Taipei, following a ragtag group of queer young adults making sense of what life throws at them. The novel follows a lesbian narrator, nicknamed Lazi, who must deal with her messy relationships, both platonic and romantic, which often is a result of people naturally being complicated. Something about the way Lazi makes sense of the world tells me that she is a bit naïve, as she does a lot of stumbling throughout the novel. It can be a bit frustrating at times, because you want so desperately for her to come to her senses that she should not be pursuing X or Y. Yet, that’s part of growing up, and it’s especially difficult when queer.

I quite liked the nonstandard format of the novel. Qiu went for a more journal approach that featured diary entries stuffed with notes, aphorisms, and whatever else struck Lazi’s fancy. It did make it a little difficult to see the overarching narrative, and I can’t help but wonder if things got lost in translation that contributed to this difficulty. However, it seemed like a deliberate move on Qiu’s part, which I think worked for the particular story she wanted to tell.

Overall, I didn’t particularly love or hate this novel. I did feel a little detached from the plot and characters, even frustrated at times, but I’m glad that I finally got around to reading Qiu’s work.
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