Customer Reviews

Black Snow

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Little has been translated into English by Chinese writers whose novels are set in the 1990's. Liu Heng, author of the story which formed the basis for the film, Ju Dou, fills in much of that gap with Howard Goldblatt's excellent translation. A poignant, compelling novel of unrelenting realism, "Black Snow" portrays contemporary life in Beijing in stark and everyday terms. It is a masterpiece of insight into the neglected landscape of ordinary workers existing in extraordinary times. Somehow the mundane comes alive in Liu's writing. The characters are round and, therefore, believable, unlike so many we read in other novels by both exile Chinese and American writers. Nothing is predictable yet nothing is made sensational for its own sake to merely titillate the reader. My graduate students are reading it with keen interest here in Beijing and confirm its veracity. They even admit to having learned a thing or two about the lives of street peddlars in the process. The novel addresses the question of what happens when a disaffected youth attempts to redeem himself, not so much in the eyes of others, as in his own eyes. The finest novel available in English in this genre, in my opinion.

Life in China certainly can be difficult, but the same could be said for most parts of the world. Liu Heng's 1993 novel, BLACK SNOW, presents the world of Beijing as seen through the eyes of a miscreant, a rolling pin-wielding brawler who has just been released from prison and must find a place for himself in society. The main character, Li Huiquan, finds himself incapable of connecting with anyone, neither his neighbors nor his old friends nor any of the women he meets. Liu presents Li as emotionally stunted, a hate-filled and violent child in a man's body, as lacking in human warmth and sympathy as the totalitarian system in which he lives. Li Huiquan is also a mysogynist, simultaneously desirous, terrified, and hateful of women, living his romances as fantasies, completely disconnected from the real world. In American society, Li Huiquan could have become a rapist or serial killer. In China, he remains an adult virgin, clueless about how to relate to women and unable to comprehend what motivates them.

BLACK SNOW presents occasional interesting snippets of life in China, but most of the novel is interior dialogue, heavily freighted by Huiquan's repetitive musings about loneliness and the meaning of life. Many of his observations are trite, from the "Why am I the only one who thinks life sucks?" category of philosophical insight. Readers are treated to multiple variations on the same notions, that women are vain and superficial, that men only look out for themselves, and that friends are just users who cannot be trusted.

The main character is improbably twice orphaned, and the violent ending is so contrived as to make the entire story feel overly scripted. In places, Liu's prose offers promise, and a few characters such as the neighborhood police officer Liu Baotie stand on their own, as unique and original characters. For the rest, BLACK SNOW is a small step above a Chinese Ellery Queen or Dashiel Hammett, drawing a disturbing picture of a disturbed man struggling for existence and trying not to get pulled into the underside of Beijing life.

BLACK SNOW is an interesting read for the atmosphere Liu Heng creates, even if he does overdo it. Not many Chinese novels have dealt with the reality of such marginal existences, carried out at the edge of the law, so Liu's effort is intriguing even if the quality of the work is less than stellar. Novels by Su Tong and Mo Yan, and even Wang Shuo and Ha Jin, are probably better choices for first-time readers of modern Chinese literature, and those who want to read a nonfiction version of the dark side of Chinese life are advised to look into RED DUST by Ma Jian. Nevertheless, Liu Heng is a voice that deserves to be read, with the hope that more and better will follow in the coming years.

The book arrived on time and was as described: the pages were clean, the cover and spine uncreased. No complaints here!

I wasnt so sure when I got this book whether I would enjoy it or not. I was very pleasantly surprised. It is an eye opening book because it truly shows you how the street peddlars life must be in modern China. The main character is well defined enough for you to want him to better himself and as you read the book you curse him for making the mistakes which he could avoid. It is a depressing book but very realistic.
This book also opens our eyes to how difficult and unhappy life is for the comman man in China. It shows the mundane life of this boy who having spent time in jail wants to become a better person and tries to reform himself. This is also the point where this story becomes universal in the sense of small time criminals, or kids gone bad, who even with best intentions have a hard time following the straight path due to their past, poverty, no support, etc.
A great read, however, if you are looking for an upbeat or uplifting book, don't read this yet!