Yu Hua

I knew I'd had this book for a while before reading it, but to my shock it's been 14 years! I am glad I did in the end though, because its a good read. Scatalogical - especially the early chapters, earthy, rabelasian, absurd yet funny and ultimately very moving. Brothers follows the half brothers Baldy Li (he's not bald - just so poor as a child tthat his mother would shave his head to save barber costs) and Song Gang, as they enduring poverty, the Cultural Revolution, the opening up of China's economy and the boom years of the aughts. At the same time, it acutely grasps the ups, downs and roundabouts of rapid cultural change in medium size Chinese towns over half a century. Baldy Li and Song Gang are destined for very different fates, whilst coming from exactly the same background and circumstances; in a previous generation their fates would have been close to identical.

Supported by an interesting and comic cast of supporting characters who all have their own story arcs to follow - from bully to bullied, from virtuous to wanton, from intellectual to factotum, and all the while backed up by the Greek chorus that is "the townspeople" this is compelling. Admirably translated too. Recommended… (lisätietoja)

Brothers is a masterpiece. It is one of the vibrant and exciting books I have ever read. Originally written in Chinese as two books, the English version is collected and translated by academics Eileencheng-Yin Chow and Carlos Rojas, who has translated other literary figures like Yan Lianke.

Having many of Yu Hua's other books and short stories in the past, I sat on this one for several years before picking it up. I was not disappointed. I knew what to expect from the author: a fair amount of tragedy, quirky characters, and a little absurdity. Yu Hua stretched these qualities as far as he could in Brothers.

The title characters are two half-brothers who, in childhood, are racked by the tragedies of the Cultural Revolution. Their lives separate in early adulthood so that by the second half of the book, they rarely see each other even though they are rivals, love each other, and live in the same town. One brother seeks domestic tranquility while the other seeks riches.

The author's ability to mix the absurd with the tragic shines throughout the book. There are many moments where a situation's ludicrousness seems out of reach, but Yu Hua's characters are all true to themselves and behave in ways that make sense.

In the end, Brothers is about how people transitioned from local communities to a world bent on making money. Their immorality and values remain the same, but adapt to fit new and changing scenarios.

I cannot recommend Yu Hua's Brothers enough.… (lisätietoja)

Probabilmente guardo a questo libro non dalla prospettiva più corretta: l'ho cercato in quanto saggio sulla Cina d'oggi che in più risulta scritto da uno dei suoi scrittori più rappresentativi, mentre forse il percorso più corretto sarebbe l'opposto («amo Yu Hua e quindi leggo anche un suo libro che non è romanzo»). Quindi, non conoscendo ancora Yu Hua come romanziere, ho trovato questa raccolta di saggi - esplicitamente eterogenea e frammentata, nonché chiusa da un paio di "riempitivi" legati al mondo dell'editoria - interessante ma non particolarmente sorprendente o approfondita. Yu Hua ha la capacità di spaziare fra osservazioni quotidiane e pensieri più alti e, critico fin dalla prima pagina, restituisce una panoramica della Cina contemporanea decisamente non edulcorata. Molto apprezzabili i proverbi o i detti popolari che spesso chiudono i singoli articoli.… (lisätietoja)