The Fat Years

LoveReading Says

In today's Western World, we are all aware of China and its force in the world. But, because our cultures are so different, it is easy to put to one side the political and economic influence that we all know China might wield upon us and future generations. Some schools make a great play of children learning to speak Mandarin. But how important will this be? For example, go to a restaurant in Beijing to day and a waiter will approach your table and say: 'Hi, I'm Darren, I'll be looking after you today'. (True). No, it is understanding the culture, the people and how they THINK that is important. This is where the importance of literary fiction comes in. By telling a story and setting a context and placing the reader right inside the characters' thinking, the vision of a 'strange' culture and an alien future can be brought to life. Furthermore, to many of us, literary fiction is more approachable than political sermonising.

So, if nothing else, please read the Preface in the Extract featured on this page and you will find out why you need to read this novel. Here are just a few of those reasons:

'The construction of an authoritarian harmony has always been implicit in Communist theory and practice, but this became official policy after 2007...'

'The Beijing regime has stayed in power by a bargain with its citizens - tolerate our authoritarian rule and we'll make you rich'.

'As Chan Koonchung has observed: 'many of those who were once critical of the regime are now part of the system'.

'Much of the force of The Fat Years springs from its unusual honesty about certain aspects of contemporary Chinese society'.

So, this is an important novel. It may not be the Animal Farm or 1984 of the 21st Century, and Chan Koonchung might not be George Orwell, but - unless you read this book - how will you know?

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