Waiting

Waiting/Ha Jin/Vintage International

My sister found this one dull because it has no climax. I agree. And yet it carried me through cover to cover. I was looking for an oriental writer for a change and I landed on a gold mine. The story's backdrop is set in China's late communism era, where Chairman Mao's doctrine rules the day while the threat of Western influences plants it's early seeds, and tradition still holds a strong grip on the rural community. The storyline itself has neither dramatic rises no falls. What kept me reading was his narration of the various sects in Communist China - the strict administrators, the submissive yet cunning underclass and the ignorant but hopeful rural villagers. Here communist China comes off as drab and dreary, but at the same time it's colourful tapestry of food, culture, literature and local traditions still shows itself. This book, to me, brought out China, besides it's story.>