Red Sorghum: A Novel of China

Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: A masterpiece of the calibre of One Hundred Years of Solitute and The Unbearable Lightness of Being - according to the covertext of the Dutch translation. So not exactly light reading material, but rural Chinese horrors so accurately descibed that I think the book should have a warning the plot is gripping and the prose flows easily - not as heavy on the reader as the long sentences and philosophical reflections of the above mentioned masterpieces can be. The fact that the end of the story leaves one wandering can be either good or the only bad thing about the book - I am still wandering. This book should be read by anyone who is interested in history and the dark side of humanity in general.

Rating:
Summary: a painted book
Review: i felt as though reading a painting. the contents are so narrative and graphic it will make you think all over again after you read one scene. though some contents are quite morbid nevertheless it is a good book for booklovers all over the world. you will feel the pain of each character and become attached to them. one of the many good books in chinese literature translated.

Rating:
Summary: brutal, real
Review: I have never read such a brutal, graphic novel. It is truly rare for an author to capture the horror of evil so clearly or powerfully. Reading this book is like being beaten up.

At the same time, it is about life. Within the tragedy is a story about people facing and overcoming evil. Because it does not look away from the horror, the hope it implies is authentic. Thus this book distinguishes itself.

I recommend this book for a mature reader because of its powerful content. It will not leave you unchanged. You will shiver, and think.

It is an allegory for the communist takeover of China, and the film that this book inspired won the "Golden Bear" award. An old, leprous landlord represents the corruption of the Guomingdan period. But his murder enables a young woman to take over, and clean up the winery, representing China. The book shows peasants glorified, a new role for women, the breaking down of class barriers, and a brave struggle against Japanese invaders. All of this must have made it dear to Chinese communists!

Perhaps a few Western readers will imagine that all this makes it a less compelling book, however. I don't think so, and I suggest reading it yourself. At least see the movie, which follows the book fairly well.

Rating:
Summary: Lush tragedy
Review: Mo Yan's prose explodes with a lushness lacking in most Chinese literature. The story is well-written and compelling, but it was the prose that made me pick it up again and again. The content is graphic and sometimes hard to read because he manages to thrust you into the situation. This was a book I had to read for class and didn't finish in time because I found myself not merely reading, but savoring the passages. The constraints of school didn't let me continue reading it that semester, but as soon as the last final was handed in 2 months later, I immediately picked it up to finish.

Rating:
Summary: Red Sorghum
Review: Red Sorghum is a great book tat shows you what is was like for some of the chinese people when they were invaded by the japanese in the 1930's. Mo Yan,although very explicit at some times, gives you some detail on what it was like for the chinese to be either slaves of the japanese or what it's like to be at war with them. He does this by using characters in the book and gives them different roles whether they are soldiers, farmers, women, or just other people involved in this crisis. Yan shows what happened to the chinese if they did not obey the japanese and did this by using some detailed, but graphic language. He paints a very good picture in your head is what I mean. Yan though also showed what what would happen to you if you broke the law and Yan also added some cultural items to this book. For example the chinese womens' binding of the feat and also showed how a couple fell in love.

I would reccomend reading this book if you are someone who is either interested in chinese history or someone who just enjoys reading a great book.

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable Historical Fiction!
Review: The Japanese Invasion of China in 1937 is a dark period in history. The Japanese committed many horrible crimes and atrocities on the Chinese population. Red Sorghum in very graphic graphic detail describes some of these atrocities and their impact on the Chinese civilian population.

But the book is much more than that. WWII does play a major role in the book, but the book is also a look into Chinese culture, family, and is such a moving window on China during this time period.

This is not an easy read. The translation is very good, but the book is very detailed and again at times very graphic. I do not like to bash books like the Good Earth or The Single Pebble as many people do. I agree that neither book was written by a Chinese person and I understand some of the criticism that orginates from that fact. I enjoyed both books and think they are valuable. HOwever, if you are from the school that demands a Chinese author and a Chinese voice to Chinese literature you must read Mo Yan. He is a gifted writer and he brings to life some very difficult times in Chinese History.

This is a very powerful book and parts of it will stay with you long after you have read the book. Again, this is not an easy book to read but well worth the effort.

Rating:
Summary: Soul Shattering
Review: This book is both incredibly beautiful and incredibly tragic. The things that people endure and overcome, or at least endure is amazing. I think most of us modern day American's, or at least first world folks, can't even begin to imagine such a world as is depicted in this book.

I had to struggle with an impulse to throw this book out the window, but I did not put it down until I was finished with it. This book has changed me as a person, and the way that I view the world. This book reinforces my beleif that the world is not so difficult because it is so terrible, but rather because that it is so beautiful. The world is so beautiful, that it is sometimes more than one can take.