Customer Reviews

Red Poppies: A Novel of Tibet

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

So I saw the book cover in local Borders and was intrigued enough to began flip through it. Next thing I know I've already spent three hours in the store, reading through it at a furious pace.

The book is about the rise and fall of a Tibetan noble family during the first half of 20th century, seen through the eye of a "idiot" (or not) Second Young Master of the family. Think of I, Claudius transported to the harsh dry Tibetan plains. The author achieve passages of astonishing lyricism, and moments of great wit, particularly when he describe the protagonist's not-so-idiotic way of trying to come to terms with a fast changing world.

All in all, I was very impressed with this book.

If you think of Tibet as a place of mystery and mysticism, an ethereal and other-worldly place which rejects the physical world in favor of the spiritual, you are in for some huge surprises when you read this book. Set during the early to mid-20th century, this novel by a Tibetan author feels medieval, revealing a feudal society of tribal chieftains and their internecine rivalries, complete with intrigue, murder, vengeance, double-crosses, and a callous disregard of life and limb.

In short, simple sentences, easy vocabulary, and straightforward style befitting the subject matter, Alai tells the history of the Maichi family, depicting a family of rulers who believe only in power--"You can ride [your slaves] like horses or beat them like dogs, but you must never treat them like humans." Hands are cut off, tongues are cut out, enemies are beheaded, hungry people are used as pawns and allowed to starve, children are beaten for playing. Though the Living Buddha and several lamas play roles in the novel, they are not a dominant, or even a moderating, force, appearing to be more like soothsayers than real religious leaders. One lama even remarks, "Instead of teaching us to love, why must religion teach us to hate?"

Almost cartoon-like with its shallow, black-and-white characters, its good guys vs. bad guys action scenes, and its high quotient of blood and guts, the novel is stunning in its total disregard for the value of life. When, at the end, the revolutionary Red Chinese emerge victorious in the nearby Chinese provinces and begin to exert power over the Tibetan chieftains, the reader is stunned by the irony--we know the Red Chinese historical record, but here they seem more idealistic and far more concerned with the lives of the common man than the chieftains do. I found this a disturbing book, one which offers few references to a "soft," cultural side of Tibet, such as its music, art, religion, and literature. Mary Whipple

I thought this is a wonderful book. The translated prose is exquisite, the characters, especially the protagonist/narrator, are intriguing and the story is a exciting epic adventure. One can't ask for more. I particularly enjoy the slightly detached tone of the narrator's voice, as if it is a inner wisdom speaking through the "idiot" boy.

A previous reviewer hints that the author may have a pro-Chinese government agenda. I feel this is very unfair to the author. Granted, the Tibet he presents to us is sometimes at odds with the way the region has been eulogized in the West. But that's no reason to immediately question the authenticity of the author's voice. I didn't detect any pro-"Red Chinese" passages in the book.
I am sorry to go on a long tangent, but it would be a real shame if people get the wrong impression that this book is written with a unscrupulous political agenda. It's a beautiful work of art about humanity and should be enjoyed as such.

This is a beautifully written and expertly translated novel. It certainly ranks creatively with "The Life of Pi," as well as meeting the high standards set by such surreal writers as Marquez and Allende. Not that this novel is as surreal as the South Americans' novels, but it portrays a reality so much closer to medieval times than to the 20th or 21st centuries that it seems surreal and even rather upside down. Initially, I was unsettled by the Chieftain State it portrays so vividly--executions, mutilations, and willful behavior extraordinaire by the Chieftain Families. But through shifts in power and the maturation of the characters, there is so much humour and wisdom and delight in this book that much that is universal is revealed in this way of life that we see rapidly moving towards extinction.

I think China has intervened in matters Tibetan--be they religious or/and political, for a very long time preceeding China's invasion of Tibet. This potential of the Chinese for intervention with Tibet is represented in this novel--but I in no way felt that "Red Poppies" is pro-Chinese or in any way denigrates the Tibetans. I have a passion for Tibetan religion, culture, and art [actually I'm most interested in the Tibetan Bon Shamanic tradition]--and have an absolute horror of China's persecution of the Tibetan people, so I expect I would have been sensitive to any subtext in the novel if it exists in this regard.

Finally, this is the kind of book that helps one step outside of the familiar and gain a fresh perspective--rather like going on vacation and then coming home and having everything look just a little bit different for a time. So take a break and enjoy this magical work.

Anyone who thinks of Tibet as a land of peaceful Buddhists will be in for a surprise on opening this book. The story is of a powerful clan in eastern Tibet on the eve of the Chinese revolution. Theirs is a life unchanged in hundreds of years, a life of autocratic rule supported by slaves and soldiers, enforced by torture and summary executions. Women are commodities with no control over their futures. Constant fights over territory and intrigue among the clans occupies the oldest son and heir to the chieftan. The only one who senses that life is changing is the "idiot" second son, who builds the clan's fortunes not on constant wars for territory but trade. The Chinese introduce the poppy to Tibet, and lured by promises of fantastic wealth all the clans plant nothing but poppies; when famine hits the canny "idiot" second son dominates all the other families by having been the only one who planted grain.

The book is written by a Chinese and has a lyrical, surreal quality not often found in Western literature. Timelines are murky, and a sense of impending doom slowly builds with stray references to a war in far-off China. The references to Lhasa and Tibetan Buddhism are interesting--a monk from the west arrives to spread the "new teachings" but leaves when his efforts are met with indifference. We are reminded that although Tibet was not part of China in a formal sense their historical relationship was much stronger than with other surrounding countries, such as India.

We know the sad end of the story--such a primitive society was powerless to resist the invading Chinese. That such a society could have existed a mere 60 or 70 years ago is incredible and fascinating.

I couldn't put this book down. Alai spins a tale of turn of the century Tibet, where chieftians rule the divided land prior to communist occupation. Narrarated by the "idiot" son of a powerful ruling chieftian & full of intriguing characters and page turning drama. The story is still smoldering in me long after I finished this book. For those who love historical fiction or just an excellent story, Don't miss this one!

Alai's "Red Poppies", first of a projected trilogy, tells the story of the second son of a chieftain, who is thought to be stupid, but really isn't. Revenge, brutality, and love figure into the story in the book, but it feels a 100 pages too long, and you don't feel too much sympathy for the "old ways" when everyone acts brutal and chauvanistic to the extreme. an Ok book.

Let's make something clear here, this book does NOT have a strong political message for or against China's Communist regime. I did not get any sense of the author's political alliance. If you're trying to read a political message into this book, you're missing the story, which is beautifully told. I read a couple reviews saying the writing style was too simplistic, that the characters are black and white, and that the story focuses too much on violence and not the "other" side of Tibet. Don't they realize that this story is written in the first person from the perspective from a mentally handicapped individual? The writing fits the perspective, and Alai does an amazing job with the point of view. Also, this isn't a light hearted novel. It's not Frommer's Guide to Tibetan Culture. This is about the death knell of a civilization! Why do people think Tibetan civilization is so immaculate? It's feudalism people!

Some books take me months to read. Others take me days. Red Poppies, which is 433 pages long, was a 3-day book. I just couldn't put it down. Originally written in Chinese in 1998, this book changed my perception of the little I know about Tibet. I've always thought about Tibetans as peaceful people who were victimized by the cruel Chinese. But this book is written from a Chinese perspective and highlights the routine brutality of the Tibetan chieftains who ruled Tibet at the beginning of the 20th century. It's also a really good story, and there are some parts of it that are truly comic and made me laugh out loud.

Narrated by a chieftain's son, who is considered an "idiot", we meet some wildly individualistic characters, including slaves, serfs and warlords. We are there for the multiple seductions, romances, triumphs, revenges, murders, cruelties and executions. There's also a bit about the opium poppies that are planted as a cash crop which is profitable but creates a famine because there is no wheat being planted. And there's also a beautiful woman whose actions are truly ugly. It's all there in this very readable epic that moves as fast as the speed of light.

I loved the book and didn't want it to end. And think it would probably be a great film.

This book is interesting overall as historical fiction, although the ending is of course a foregone conclusion, very much in vein with all of the historical treatments of pre-communist Tibet and its border regions. The narrator, a self proclaimed "idiot" character who doesn't seem so stupid, is a hero that is rather detached and whose own visions of what he wants are unclear. I personally only related to him minimally.