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A review by ericderoulet
Linghun by Ai Jiang
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Linghun is a fine exemplar of a modern gothic work, and Ai Jiang's background as a poet really shines through at the prose level.
By modern gothic, I mean that the classic themes and tropes of gothic horror—family dysfunction, claustrophobic setting, a focus on interiority—are put to good use here in a context that's relevant to contemporary readers. Not only are there some clear jabs at the state of the metro Toronto housing market, but much more importantly, Jiang skillfully integrates the family dynamics and emotional complexities particular to diasporic, transnational households with the manipulative relationships and learned helplessness that give gothic horror its quiet tension. These latter points might be primarily what makes Linghun a noteworthy piece of literature: Wenqi (the protagonist)'s deprivation of agency and her familial, emotional attachment to her antagonists are precisely what make the story compelling. I reflected on this point in an article for WordsWorks Magazine titled "Beyond being scary: How horror can enrich our storytelling." (https://issuu.com/fbcw/docs/wordworks_vol_2_2024_w_links)
If I were to nitpick, I would be tempted to reevaluate the efficacy of the distinct voices (including first- versus third- versus second-person narration) for each major character; this was evidently an experiment in writing craft, though I would've liked to see more experimentation, if anything. That said, fellow readers I've introduced the story to, including those with backgrounds in English literature and the like, have been impressed with Jiang's prose and overall writing craft—and rightly so, I think. Her strengths as a poet and as a short story writer appear to have equipped her exceptionally well for writing novellas. Doubly impressive is that Linghun is an early long-form work in what is likely to be Ai Jiang's long career in writing fiction.
By modern gothic, I mean that the classic themes and tropes of gothic horror—family dysfunction, claustrophobic setting, a focus on interiority—are put to good use here in a context that's relevant to contemporary readers. Not only are there some clear jabs at the state of the metro Toronto housing market, but much more importantly, Jiang skillfully integrates the family dynamics and emotional complexities particular to diasporic, transnational households with the manipulative relationships and learned helplessness that give gothic horror its quiet tension. These latter points might be primarily what makes Linghun a noteworthy piece of literature: Wenqi (the protagonist)'s deprivation of agency and her familial, emotional attachment to her antagonists are precisely what make the story compelling. I reflected on this point in an article for WordsWorks Magazine titled "Beyond being scary: How horror can enrich our storytelling." (https://issuu.com/fbcw/docs/wordworks_vol_2_2024_w_links)
If I were to nitpick, I would be tempted to reevaluate the efficacy of the distinct voices (including first- versus third- versus second-person narration) for each major character; this was evidently an experiment in writing craft, though I would've liked to see more experimentation, if anything. That said, fellow readers I've introduced the story to, including those with backgrounds in English literature and the like, have been impressed with Jiang's prose and overall writing craft—and rightly so, I think. Her strengths as a poet and as a short story writer appear to have equipped her exceptionally well for writing novellas. Doubly impressive is that Linghun is an early long-form work in what is likely to be Ai Jiang's long career in writing fiction.