Customer Reviews

Apologies Forthcoming

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In Aplogies Forthcoming, Xujun Eberlein describes a world where intelligent women have such limited choices that they consider suicide, children are sent from their homes to labor in far away fields, and men do not apologize for destroying each others property and dreams. Set during and after China's Cultural Revolution, this well written collection of eight stories tells tales of individual hardship: Sail, whose older sister dies serving in the Red Guard; Ou Homg, whose father is accused of being a "capitalist roader" and publicly humiliated; Wang Qiang, who tries and fails to bring his brother back to his home from the countryside; and others, whose stories are no less compelling. Despite hard times, the characters search for love and fulfillment, and each story presents not only a unique view into the character's world, but a very human portrait of the people inhabiting the pages.

This collection of short stories set against a backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution is remarkable primarily for its unstinting authenticity. The reader will understand from depictions of the places and events and from the rendering of the characters and their conflicted loyalties that this is a writer who knows what she's talking about. Whether most Americans will be able to connect to the tales is another question, but for a reader who is at all familiar with or interested in modern China, the book is deeply rewarding.

The stories in the book (my favorite is "Disciple of the Masses") reveal important features of life in China during a time of great upheaval that shattered many families. But even in turbulence, young people came of age, developed attachments, and learned that what they were taught was not always right. For the reader unfamiliar with China, these tales will still resonate because the narratives ring true.

While the setting and details are credible and precise, the language of the stories is occasionally, to my ear, somewhat awkward. Paradoxically, however, this awkwardness only adds to the writer's authority, because the rhythm and vocabulary serve to underscore the collection's Chineseness. And it is that Chineseness--the transport to a time and place that is so unfamiliar to most readers--that makes Apologies Forthcoming a special book.

Growing up in Chongquing, China, Xujun Eberlein came to America in the summer of 1988 to advance her education. Receiving a PhD from MIT in 1995, after graduation she became a computer algorithm developer until 2003 when she embarked upon a new career as a writer, for which she has since been awarded a number of literary honors for her stories and personal essays published in the United States, Canada, England, Kenya and Hong Kong. Xujun Eberlein currently hosts the literary and cultural blog 'Inside-out China'. Now eight of her stories have been collected and published by the Livingston Press as "Apologies Forthcoming". These erudite and compelling stories focus on the experiences of people during China's 'Cultural Revolution' which saw the intellectual class of a generation of Chinese under Mao subjected to humiliation and repression. Included in this outstanding anthology of realistic fiction are Snow Line; Pivot Point; Feathers; Men Don't apologize; Watch the Thrill; disciple of the Masses; The Randomness of Love; and Second Encounter. Documenting Xujun Eberlein as an exceptional talented author, "Apologies Forthcoming" is especially recommended to readers with an interest in superbly presented and engaging fiction deftly showcasing the human condition with a particular flair for realism in both character and dialogue.

This impressive collection of short stories gives the reader a glimpse into the world of China's Cultural Revolution and its legacy. Reformed Red Guards, city kids "inserted" in impoverished farming villages, educated women looking for love with men who find them "too high to reach," all grapple with the harsh realities of the times that are guaranteed to reveal any character to its depths. Xujun Eberlein's witty, economical and often breathtaking prose makes for many memorable moments: a girl's attempts to transform her grief into art by writing letters to her grandmother in her dead sister's name, the desperate efforts of lovers seeking intimacy in a society hostile to erotic expression, the hollow eyes of a mother who has lost everything she loves, a showdown between a respected scholar and the man who once humiliated him, which brings no apologies, but illuminates for the reader the tragedy of good men at the mercy of history. Apologies Forthcoming offers more than a window into a foreign place and a distant time, however. The protagonists' dreams and disappointments and the compromises they make are also profoundly familiar. This book stretched my mind, charmed my sensibilities, and touched my heart. These are the reasons why I read fiction, and I give it my highest recommendation!

I am charmed by Apologies Forthcoming but haven't been able to put my finger on precisely why. Xujun Eberlein writes with quiet intimacy. The stories are like listening to a really interesting person at a social gathering... someone uninhibited, unafraid to admit earthy things to a stranger.

Through a collection of stories, Xujun Eberlein weaves poignant tales with the common thread being China's Cultural Revolution. Eberlein's stories reveal the impact of the revolution on the individual and how it shaped the decisions and actions both during and well after the revolution. Through the intimacy of her writing, it is apparent that Eberlein has a powerful understanding of the revolution, the people who experienced it, and their stories. It is with this knowledge that she shapes often unforgettable tales that reveal the personal turmoil, familial conflict, and societal indifference of a nation of people caught in the revolution and its aftermath.

The tones of the stories range from intense passion to distant indifference. This disparity seems to work well with the characters as it clearly shows the impact of the atrocities that occurred during the revolution. The passion is evident in Shanzi, a young city insert sent into the country, in "Disciple of the Masses." Cloaked in the naive passion of the cause, she seems often unaware of the direness of her situation.

Indifference proves shocking in "Watch the Thrill," as Eberlein tells the story of two young boys in the midst of national turmoil. Within the limitations of the Cultural Revolution, the boys find themselves bored and looking for excitement. A horrific event occurs before their eyes. What is shocking is not so much the event itself (as it appears to be a common occurrence during the revolution), but the shear indifference of one of the boys to the pain of a young man from their neighborhood who is headed for his death.

Eberlein reveals the challenges of relationships during era of the Cultural Revolution in the connecting tales, "Pivot Point" and "The Randomness of Love." By tracing the evolving relationship of a young educated woman and her married lover, Eberlein reveals the difficulty of making connections and maintaining them. Although this situation is common, what is riveting is the the path that Eberlein takes the young woman on; a path that will ultimately lead to either hope or utter despair.

The remaining tales feature young people figuring out who they are, families torn apart, friendships tested, and loyalties betrayed all occurring within the constraints of a pivotal time in China's history. With each story, Eberlein pulls in the reader with her honest narratives, strong characterizations, and simple and casual language.

As a regular reader of world and multicultural literature, I felt that Eberlein's writing style was rather unique in that she was able to capture the indifference and the passion weaved within her stories with a rather simple and honest style. Often it is easy to get caught up in the language and neglect the authenticity of the story. Clearly, no apologies are needed as Eberlein delivers an influential and unforgettable collection of tales.

Wow. This is a stunning short story collection, a frank look into the minds and hearts of ordinary Chinese citizens who have lived through their government's folly-filled shifts in policy and politics.

Eberlein writes deftly, unassumingly, of matters she knows well. She is not afraid to show the warts in her characters or the country in which they were born, but she does so with the talent of a fine storyteller, using weakness, strength and humanity to build her scenes. This is the stuff missing from history books, the stuff that would actually make those dry accounts of movements and political actions interesting and relevant to us mortals. It's history written not by the winners, but by the survivors.

Although the stories are simple on the surface, they present situations that are tremendously complicated, both emotionally and technically. Eberlein is very good at rendering characters who refuse to be entirely good or overwhelmingly evil, a fact that sets her apart from much prose written about China in general and the Cultural Revolution in particular. She also gives us a fine sense of place, whether her characters roam the halls of a factory, wander the market, or huddle for warmth against the wall of a barn.

I loved this collection. Now...we need a novel.


Susan O'Neill, Author: Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Vietnam

I've read Apologies Forthcoming cover to cover and enjoyed every word, entranced by the poetry of "Snow Line" and shocked by the ending of "Disciple of the Masses."

Xujun Eberlein's sensitive and subtle stories have an amazing depth and clarity. And are beautifully presented by the Livingston Press in this elegant book.

It may be a cliche to say it (and I'm loathe to use cliches), but it's inescapably true that once you start reading this story collection you cannot put it down until you're finished. Then you'll probably want to pick it up and start reading it again! Wonderfully human, unsentimental stories of a fascinating culture, time, and place; stories startling and vivid, yet understated; with precise description of life in evocative and realistic settings, and narratives sustained by a subtle tension that builds and relents, builds and relents, like waves gathering momentum for a rocky shore. I truly expect big things from Xujun Eberlein.

An approximate quote from the book:
When dealing with people "proceed gingerly and think three times before speaking"

This is a quick review; it has been over two months since I first read it.
I will read this book two or three times (something I have never done for a book of this type)
before I have a `book club' handle on it.

Reading XuJun's "Apologies Forthcoming" made me feel like I had
traveled to China as tourists do; experiencing the cultural differences
with a mix of fascination, curiosity and naivete.
I laughed a few times and a few times the realism of the
writing made me feel a bit uncomfortable. There is humor, sex, tragedy and
the stuff of daily life here all from a perspective anyone can relate to.
Apparently even one of the most `communist' countries in the World
cannot dampen people's posturing for social status, mates and prestigious jobs.

The sense of government involvement in people's lives is a bit disturbing
for a baby boomer from the United States that has never been to China but
upon reflection similar in degree to how one's corporate life here in the US
can get involved in our lives, maybe not as directly but just as influential.

An engaging read.