 | Barbara Branden commented sometime ago that she hadn’t known much writings about the lives in Communist China. I have since discovered Ha Jin, a Chinese born author and Professor of English Literature at Boston University. Ha Jin writes both poetry and fiction, in English. The subject matter of his fictions so far (except his latest novel War Trash) are all about lives of common Chinese people in the Communist China in the late 1960s up to early 80s, a period when I myself started to have memories. Ha Jin’s stories depicted a vivid picture of the state of human existence in that harsh and inhuman environment and he showed exceptional sensibility towards his subjects.
Bridegroom is a collection of short stories, my most favorite. Ha Jin has also published two other books of short stories, Ocean of Words and Under the Red Flag. Among his full-length fictions, I like War Trash and In the Pond the most. The critically acclaimed Waiting is also excellent; The Crazed is a bit of a drag to read though. Overall, I am very glad that the subject of life in China in that particular time has been handled superbly by a very talented Chinese American writer.
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The Bridegroom by Ha Jin
