Debuts are always interesting, especially when the work itself is also unique or daring in some way. An Yu’s debut novel Braised Pork seems to garner a lot of praise for its originality, which makes it naturally alluring to many readers (myself included).
The story is set in Beijing and follows a Chinese writer as she journeys through the capital city, Tibet, and other regions beyond, following the suicide of her husband.
From that, it sounds pretty open-ended and tragic. Although I prefer blurbs to be a bit more specific or straightforward, I think the vagueness and mystery about a ‘dream-like journey’ following the loss of a partner is very compelling. It’s also nice that the novel is set in China, because it’s not an overly common locale for most fiction.
Honestly, hand on heart, I cannot make complete sense of what this novel is about. What I’ve said is all I can be confident about, that it is a tale of loss, exploration, mystery, and perhaps romance, too.
I currently own this title, but I haven’t got around to reading it. Although, as I write this, I am growing ever more tempted to pluck it from my bookshelf and start reading. I recommend everyone have a look into this fascinating and difficult to pin down debut.
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