PositiveThe MillionsThe first few chapters of Sayed Kashua’s latest novel, Track Changes, didn’t impress me much. For those acquainted with the most common tropes of immigrant fiction, the setup is familiar ... However, as the multi-layered narrative unfurled, piece by piece, like the skin of an onion, I was surprised and satisfied to see all my expectations overturned. This inventive structure drives readers, deliberately and yet subtly, into the core of a larger, abstract question regarding the nature of fiction.
Meng Jin
PositiveThe MillionsSu Lan the central character of Jin’s debut novel, Little Gods, is not a likable person by any conventional standard ... Jin offers insights into the debate surrounding literary mystery/myth. And, Little Gods retains an element of mystery to its very end, without simply feeding readers a pleasing political message ... What I admire most about Little Gods is the intersection of Yongzong’s personal failures and China’s epochal political event ... Besides the brilliant and beautiful depiction of the myth/mystery in the eyes of egocentric beings, Meng Jin exhibits a rare appreciation of the depth of humanity ... Little Gods is lyrical, stunning, full of wisdom, and the fruit of Jin’s pursuit of truth
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
