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A review by niklassolaris
Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong
4.0
I saw this book lying in the pile for discounted books in a local 2nd-hand bookshop. For some reason it stuck to my eye and I bought it, not even reading the back cover.
And what a book it turned out to be.
Almost 700 pages of gripping and lively storytelling combined with charismatic characters in a fascinating setting. This is my first introduction to Chinese literary and it was interesting to learn more about the history of such a vast country. To be honest, I was more or less in the black of China and its history - now at least some light has been shed on it.
The story of Chen and other students would be a good drama by itself. But the book is so much more than just a story of twenty-something searching for himself. This is a story of us humans trying to find spirituality, trying to make sense of the world around us. This is story of us trying out how to live with each other and with the nature. This a story about how we have lost something from the ancestral times - our soul I would even say. The life on the plains is not easy or nice in anyway, but it is Life - every second of it pure existence.
Wolf Totem tackles these themes in an interesting way. The spiritual journey of young Chen and the "Great Leap Forward" of new China create an interesting combination of opposing forces. Add to that a dash of ancient wisdom of the nomads and almost mythical beasts, the great mongolian wolves, and you have a mindboggling narrative, that touches a lot of the problems what we, as singular persons, but also as a species face.
TL;DR Great book. Not only is it entertaining, but it also gives you a lot to think.
And what a book it turned out to be.
Almost 700 pages of gripping and lively storytelling combined with charismatic characters in a fascinating setting. This is my first introduction to Chinese literary and it was interesting to learn more about the history of such a vast country. To be honest, I was more or less in the black of China and its history - now at least some light has been shed on it.
The story of Chen and other students would be a good drama by itself. But the book is so much more than just a story of twenty-something searching for himself. This is a story of us humans trying to find spirituality, trying to make sense of the world around us. This is story of us trying out how to live with each other and with the nature. This a story about how we have lost something from the ancestral times - our soul I would even say. The life on the plains is not easy or nice in anyway, but it is Life - every second of it pure existence.
Wolf Totem tackles these themes in an interesting way. The spiritual journey of young Chen and the "Great Leap Forward" of new China create an interesting combination of opposing forces. Add to that a dash of ancient wisdom of the nomads and almost mythical beasts, the great mongolian wolves, and you have a mindboggling narrative, that touches a lot of the problems what we, as singular persons, but also as a species face.
TL;DR Great book. Not only is it entertaining, but it also gives you a lot to think.