I wasnt that big a fan of Oriental english authors. China isnt exactly known for its english speaking populace, and even those who can speak English, do so with painful dn often hilarious results. Sample this notice at a park in China during the Olympics - " Dont kick balls in the park". I mean, how bad can you get?
Anyway, to get on, Ha Jin is an expatriate and as such, his grasp of the language is delightfully superior to his distant cousins. A modern day Pearl S. Buck perhaps?
In the story, Lin, a doctor wants to divorce his wife Shu Yu so that he can marry another lady, manna Wu. Shu Yu agrees to divorce him, but eventually withdraws from her word, again and again - 18 times, no less!! Taunts and gibes follow of course and that combined with Shu Yu’s mysterious , almost pig-like reluctance irritates the doctor no end.
In the city, on the other hand, Manna Wu is getting more and more impatient, not to mention old. She watches on the antics of the doctor and suffers silently.... not that silently, of course. There’s the occasional outburst, but thats’ only plain rhetoric.The narrative is lively, in a sinister underhanded way. It crawls, it jumps but seldom does it smile. Nor do the protagonists, and to speak of that nor do you. Sure, you might laugh at points but smile is hard to come by.
A hungry clawing forms the core of the tale of loss, love and yearning; something that yearns to break free but cannot. Perhaps the political scenario of present day China has a part to play in the narrative, but then I wont say much lest I am spirited away by the Chinese Secret Police!! All in all, the book should be read by all, and especially by those who think that the grass is greener on the other side. It isnt so always, as who better to tell that than the doctor in the end. There, I think thats quite a spoiler, innit?