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A review by kiwi_of_serenity
Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan
adventurous
challenging
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read this book after finishing a course on Chinese history because I wanted to engage with Chinese literature more. Although I understood the historical setting, I could sense that a lot of cultural references went over my head. The story was also heavily patriarchal, and it made me want to read more female perspectives from China int he future.
But, overall, I had fun with this book. Its little scenes are fun, yet poignant, and I loved the tone and voice that Mo Yan uses. This is a book that makes you feel like you are visiting a place every time you open it— I started to think, “I wonder what’s going on in Ximen village”, and then I’d go find out. It was also a book that made me question why I was reading it every step of the way because it could be so buzarre and tangential that I would think “Is this great or just wacky?” In the end, all I’m certain of is that it was fun.
But, overall, I had fun with this book. Its little scenes are fun, yet poignant, and I loved the tone and voice that Mo Yan uses. This is a book that makes you feel like you are visiting a place every time you open it— I started to think, “I wonder what’s going on in Ximen village”, and then I’d go find out. It was also a book that made me question why I was reading it every step of the way because it could be so buzarre and tangential that I would think “Is this great or just wacky?” In the end, all I’m certain of is that it was fun.