A review by thewordsdevourer
Beijing Comrades by Bei Tong

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

well, that was depressing. beijing comrades is a moving novel for sure, albeit also a very sad one. the story moves slowly thru the nearly 10 yrs of on-off relationship between han dong and lan yu, the joys and sorrows they experience, and how they each and tgt cope w/ social pressure and stigma.

the main characters are very fleshed out here, though as confounding as some of their actions are, their characterization and development make it all make sense somehow, and we see them evolving both for better and for worse thru the story. certain things do seem incomprehensible to me, however, as sometimes the characters' thoughts and actions dont match, such as han dong's random hookups despite claiming that he's v much in love w/ han yu, which is particularly disrespectful when theyve never agreed on being open or polygamous. i also feel frustrated w/ han yu's personality in the last quarter or so of the book, tho i suppose it's important to read between the lines too, seeing as it's one of the book's main themes. 

the impact of social pressures and stigma are depicted well by bei tong as well. the impossibility of two men being tgt def provides the book w/ its emotional gut punches. bei tong does a fantastic job of capturing the longing, lust, love, despair, hopelessness, physical and emotional aspects of a love forsaken to live in the dark. i teared up at points, lost in the writing and the emotions it encapsulates and provokes on the page. reading this novel, i rly feel for queer folks esp back in that time and esp in a place w/ as rigid a social hierarchy and expectations as china. like if the book shows what a rich dude goes thru bc he's queer, can one imagine what those less privileged than him has to endure, w/o the cushion of financial stability. it's particularly upsetting that official state attitudes in china havent changed much at all thru the decades. 

i have to single out myers for the great translation as well; not once did the language feel awkward or floundering, an impressive feat esp considering that he's a yt man. however, the book feels repetitive a lot of the time, w/ han dong going thru the same thought processes, coming to a conclusion, then reversing it several times over. i also wish there were more scenes that break up the monotony a bit; it's just weird that there's no lengthy chapter of them traveling tgt at least once when one of them's loaded af. the lack of communication between the main characters is frustrating too. 

overall this is a sad but moving - albeit at times frustrating and repetitive - read. it's emotionally provocative and the beijing it harks back to is vivid, a setting so alive. armed w/ a good translation, it's a novel for anyone down for sth melancholic.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings