Bei Cun

I have waited too long after finishing this book to comment as the three novels are starting to fade in my memory. The three short novels presented here were all written in the last 20 years and are said to reflect various aspects of Chinese society. "The authors are representative of contemporary writers, as well as being young and active new stars," says Sun Yong in a one-page preface.

After reading the entries by Chinese authors in the very fine anthology Speaking for Myself: An Anthology of Asian Women's Writing, I have been casting about for more writing by contemporary Chinese author, so I admit I was drawn to this collection for the very reason the collection was put together - to introduce Westerners to contemporary Chinese literature, culture and people. The first story "Zhou Yu's Train" by Bei Cun is a tale of love, one woman's grief, and the difference being delusion and truth. In "The Sprinkler" by Xu Yigua tells of a story of the young Hehuan, a sprinkler truck driver (wets down the roads) and the mysterious disappearance of her husband. And lastly, in "The Crime Scene" by Li Er , a journalist interviews a gang of bank robbers and we hear the story of their crime from their points-of-view.

I enjoyed each of these stories finding the translation quite readable, the stories complex and certainly successful in their aim to show us the internal lives of a variety of Chinese people. A worthy read for those interested in Asian literature on any level.… (més)