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A review by readwithneleh
Land of Big Numbers: Stories by Te-Ping Chen
4.0
This debut short story collection by Te-Ping Chen on China and its diaspora was such a pleasure to read. Speculative with an air of sorrow, each story was unique and served as a window into the lives of the people in Modern China.
With an undercurrent of tension, each story hints at different degrees of how the Chinese government affects the lives of its people. From the subtle; a flower shop employee who becomes obsessed with one of her rich customers and an abusive ex-boyfriend who is disfigured due to a factory explosion, to the more obvious; a twin who turns into a political activist and a group of people who are trapped on a subway platform, the presence of the state is always there. An awareness that led me to believe these stories, while speculative and even magical at times, seemed absolute. I didn't doubt the authenticity of them. I am not Chinese and cannot truly speak to the accuracy of her depictions. So, I'd have you refer to Chinese reviewers for that. But for me, as Chen explored the ordinary yet volatile lives of these characters, I felt like I had a front seat in both humanity's destructive and optimistic tendencies—as individuals and as a nation. And that was a wild ride for me. Wild and authentic.
My favorites in this collection were "Lulu", "New Fruit", and "Gubeikuo Spirit"—the last being the strongest. But, each one will make you feel things whether you like it or not.
With an undercurrent of tension, each story hints at different degrees of how the Chinese government affects the lives of its people. From the subtle; a flower shop employee who becomes obsessed with one of her rich customers and an abusive ex-boyfriend who is disfigured due to a factory explosion, to the more obvious; a twin who turns into a political activist and a group of people who are trapped on a subway platform, the presence of the state is always there. An awareness that led me to believe these stories, while speculative and even magical at times, seemed absolute. I didn't doubt the authenticity of them. I am not Chinese and cannot truly speak to the accuracy of her depictions. So, I'd have you refer to Chinese reviewers for that. But for me, as Chen explored the ordinary yet volatile lives of these characters, I felt like I had a front seat in both humanity's destructive and optimistic tendencies—as individuals and as a nation. And that was a wild ride for me. Wild and authentic.
My favorites in this collection were "Lulu", "New Fruit", and "Gubeikuo Spirit"—the last being the strongest. But, each one will make you feel things whether you like it or not.