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Young Babylon
Knowing nothing more than the working-class life he is born into, headstrong Lu Xiaolu reluctantly starts down the path he is expected to follow. At age nineteen in 1990s China, he feels pressure to follow suit with those around him and takes a job at the town’s saccharin factory. Slowly, he adjusts to the bureaucratic factory routine, making the best of the situation by bonding with coworkers, flirting with girls, and refusing to give in completely to the expectations of those around him.
As Lu Xiaolu finds his way, a startling portrait of an economically expanding China comes into view; the propaganda of a common goal gives way to a bottom-line system that he sees as indifferent to individual happiness. But thanks to the relationships he develops, Lu Xiaolu decides to fight for the life he wants.
As Lu Xiaolu finds his way, a startling portrait of an economically expanding China comes into view; the propaganda of a common goal gives way to a bottom-line system that he sees as indifferent to individual happiness. But thanks to the relationships he develops, Lu Xiaolu decides to fight for the life he wants.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2014
161 people are currently reading
804 people want to read
About the author
Lu Nei
17 books2 followers小说家，1973年生，任职于上海市作家协会。2007年在《收获》杂志发表长篇小说《少年巴比伦》而受到关注，至2013年，发表于《收获》和《人民文学》共五部长篇小说。2014年以《天使坠落在哪里》为最终篇完成70万字的“追随三部曲”。
Announcing himself as "one of the least-educated young writers in China," Lu Nei seems to have profited rather than lost by a life that began in struggle. Since the age of 19 he held a series of menial jobs around China—drifting, exploring, fighting, and observing. His interest in literature began while he had a job watching dials in a factory, and plenty of reading time on his hands. Even now, with a certain level of critical success under his belt, he refuses to give up his day job in an advertising company.
Born in Suzhou, that city provides common background for both of his novels, Young Babylon and On the Trail of Her Travels. The first recounts the semi-farcical adventures of a young man much like himself, while the second is the story of a group of disaffected youth in a small town, who suddenly decide to take their futures into their own hands…
Announcing himself as "one of the least-educated young writers in China," Lu Nei seems to have profited rather than lost by a life that began in struggle. Since the age of 19 he held a series of menial jobs around China—drifting, exploring, fighting, and observing. His interest in literature began while he had a job watching dials in a factory, and plenty of reading time on his hands. Even now, with a certain level of critical success under his belt, he refuses to give up his day job in an advertising company.
Born in Suzhou, that city provides common background for both of his novels, Young Babylon and On the Trail of Her Travels. The first recounts the semi-farcical adventures of a young man much like himself, while the second is the story of a group of disaffected youth in a small town, who suddenly decide to take their futures into their own hands…
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 26, 2015
Take a trip to modern China with Lu Xiaolu. It won’t be a fancy trip. This young “outlaw” is only nineteen and he is quite poor. He grew up in New Chemical Village near the chemical factory where his father worked. He did not push himself in high school, even though he would have chosen to be a shop assistant over a factory worker, probably because he did not have a studious or obedient disposition. His parents prepared him for his most probable destiny which would be a positon at the chemical factory. This factory is old, dingy, dreary, dirty, dangerous, and rat infested. Some of the chemicals are volatile and industrial accidents are common. But this novel is not all doom and gloom. Lu Xiaolu, while hardly always happy with his fate, is young, handsome, and his audacious behavior entertains some of his coworkers (and us) and enrages others.
Our peek into a 1990’s era Chinese factory is eye-opening. There are hierarchies within hierarchies; there are bosses and supervisors, department level people. There are cadres who often have clerical duties. There are the laboratory girls. There are the workers who sort themselves out by who is the biggest hard ass. In fact, Lu Xiaolu is apprenticed to a man called Old Bad-Ass. There are the aunties, some attractive, some scary and there are women who are tough but not at all attractive known as tigers.
Our boy gets the name Magic Head because when he hit his head against a broken water pump that he was trying to remove (because he was in the formaldehyde room and the fumes made him faint) the pump started working and all he got was a bump on his forehead. Our hero is young and not one to follow rules. He chafes against the idea that he will spend his entire life in the chemical factory and he gets punished often by frustrated supervisors.
For a while he is apprenticed to an electrician and gets to roam the factory changing light bulbs and chatting up the lab girls and Little Pouty Lips in personnel. Bai Lan, the young female doctor, starts out being amused by Lu Xiaolu’s rebellions and physical confrontations but is also unnerved by them. She becomes his solace.
Lu Nei, who wrote Young Babylon (which I am guessing is somewhat autobiographical) gave me a less-than-depressing experience of a life that might drive some to the edge of suicide. Any insight into China, as it is such a closed-off society is valuable, at least to me.
Babylon is a Biblical term for the bare lands that tribes of Israel were banished to by God and which has been used in literary circles to describe someone who lives an unruly life and suffers the consequences. Lu Nei is a talented literary voice from a vast and foreign land. However, if you read any other books by Chinese authors the people are familiar and quirky, real, and not so different from people I met in American factories when I worked there during summers home from college. Yes, yes, thank you Lu Nei. I really liked your book.
Our peek into a 1990’s era Chinese factory is eye-opening. There are hierarchies within hierarchies; there are bosses and supervisors, department level people. There are cadres who often have clerical duties. There are the laboratory girls. There are the workers who sort themselves out by who is the biggest hard ass. In fact, Lu Xiaolu is apprenticed to a man called Old Bad-Ass. There are the aunties, some attractive, some scary and there are women who are tough but not at all attractive known as tigers.
Our boy gets the name Magic Head because when he hit his head against a broken water pump that he was trying to remove (because he was in the formaldehyde room and the fumes made him faint) the pump started working and all he got was a bump on his forehead. Our hero is young and not one to follow rules. He chafes against the idea that he will spend his entire life in the chemical factory and he gets punished often by frustrated supervisors.
For a while he is apprenticed to an electrician and gets to roam the factory changing light bulbs and chatting up the lab girls and Little Pouty Lips in personnel. Bai Lan, the young female doctor, starts out being amused by Lu Xiaolu’s rebellions and physical confrontations but is also unnerved by them. She becomes his solace.
Lu Nei, who wrote Young Babylon (which I am guessing is somewhat autobiographical) gave me a less-than-depressing experience of a life that might drive some to the edge of suicide. Any insight into China, as it is such a closed-off society is valuable, at least to me.
Babylon is a Biblical term for the bare lands that tribes of Israel were banished to by God and which has been used in literary circles to describe someone who lives an unruly life and suffers the consequences. Lu Nei is a talented literary voice from a vast and foreign land. However, if you read any other books by Chinese authors the people are familiar and quirky, real, and not so different from people I met in American factories when I worked there during summers home from college. Yes, yes, thank you Lu Nei. I really liked your book.
August 29, 2015
I really and truly enjoyed this book. Would give it a 4.5 if I could.
The 30some-year-old narrator, Lu Xiaolu, muses on his experiences as a young saccharin factory worker in the 1990s. The story oozes with satire, self-deprecating humor, and bittersweet nostalgia that Xiaolu sometimes tries/oftentimes doesn't try to conceal. The tone of the narration is best represented in a line said by Bai Lan, a girl he falls in love with at the factory who probably knew him better than he knew himself at the time: "You write poetry, but you also fantasize about strapping a detonator to yourself." Xiaolu is simultaneously charismatic and psychotic, tender and violent, thoughtful and careless, and depressed and excited about life. And he's a master at proclaiming things he knows are ridiculous, just to make a point: "I refused to kill myself over saccharin or wages, or over love. But I'd be prepared to go and die for no reason whatsoever." Perhaps that's why he's so entertaining. The author is a master at unfolding his narrator's complex characterization.
My only concern about the storytelling was that it didn't seem very Chinese. The author explained in detail about working class life in Daicheng, the story's main setting, and China's rise as a global industrial power, but the translator didn't put much effort into making it read like a Chinese book. It read like a western book set in China with a Chinese narrator. Very unlike most translated titles, which preserve the cultural element of the original author's storytelling. Anyway, it was still overall pretty great.
The 30some-year-old narrator, Lu Xiaolu, muses on his experiences as a young saccharin factory worker in the 1990s. The story oozes with satire, self-deprecating humor, and bittersweet nostalgia that Xiaolu sometimes tries/oftentimes doesn't try to conceal. The tone of the narration is best represented in a line said by Bai Lan, a girl he falls in love with at the factory who probably knew him better than he knew himself at the time: "You write poetry, but you also fantasize about strapping a detonator to yourself." Xiaolu is simultaneously charismatic and psychotic, tender and violent, thoughtful and careless, and depressed and excited about life. And he's a master at proclaiming things he knows are ridiculous, just to make a point: "I refused to kill myself over saccharin or wages, or over love. But I'd be prepared to go and die for no reason whatsoever." Perhaps that's why he's so entertaining. The author is a master at unfolding his narrator's complex characterization.
My only concern about the storytelling was that it didn't seem very Chinese. The author explained in detail about working class life in Daicheng, the story's main setting, and China's rise as a global industrial power, but the translator didn't put much effort into making it read like a Chinese book. It read like a western book set in China with a Chinese narrator. Very unlike most translated titles, which preserve the cultural element of the original author's storytelling. Anyway, it was still overall pretty great.
August 10, 2015
Young Babylon
I chose a five star rating because it was a 5-star book to me. I don't have the means to travel. And I try to read books about fat-away places of any time period. And prefer authors of these books to be from the same country.
Young Babylon is a title I am still trying to figure out. Wealthy people at not in this book. The characters are factory.workers in the saccharin factory or the formaldehyde factory
Most of the characters are young and not much different than young Americans. For instance wanting to follow the latest fashions.
The main character goes from teenager to 30 years old.
This book has much humor and much sadness too.
I hope the author writes more books available to Americans. This book taught me a lot and took me far-away.
I chose a five star rating because it was a 5-star book to me. I don't have the means to travel. And I try to read books about fat-away places of any time period. And prefer authors of these books to be from the same country.
Young Babylon is a title I am still trying to figure out. Wealthy people at not in this book. The characters are factory.workers in the saccharin factory or the formaldehyde factory
Most of the characters are young and not much different than young Americans. For instance wanting to follow the latest fashions.
The main character goes from teenager to 30 years old.
This book has much humor and much sadness too.
I hope the author writes more books available to Americans. This book taught me a lot and took me far-away.
August 27, 2015
An odd little book. Somewhat lacking a real narrative, it instead covers the musings and reflections of a factory worker in 1990's China, during the industrialisation of the area. As an insight into how the Chinese actually act, it is a fascinating window into the standard teenage rebellion, dissatisfaction with where your life is heading, and the bonds of friends and lovers that you would expect to find in any contemporary Western novel. For access to a certain view of life in China this book is definitely an interesting read.
The lack of narrative, and the choppy time line used, does mean that some parts can feel slow and laborious to read, but it doesn't stop it from being interesting as a whole.
Also, Poppy Toland did an impressive job with the translation work.
The lack of narrative, and the choppy time line used, does mean that some parts can feel slow and laborious to read, but it doesn't stop it from being interesting as a whole.
Also, Poppy Toland did an impressive job with the translation work.
July 11, 2015
Young Babylon
Lu Nei
Read 9th July 2015
The whole setting is China in the 1990’s. Lu Xiaolu gets a job at a saccharin factory and the whole day to day routines in the factory are described in fascinating detail. He adjusts to the environment and makes the best of a bad situation by being headstrong and slightly out of step. As the story develops a picture of the Chinese system, as one of ignoring individual happiness, comes into view. He starts a relationship and it was interesting to get details of boy/ girl culture in modern China. This is a strange book and you need to mull it over in your mind when you finish it. I award this book 4 stars.
Lu Nei
Read 9th July 2015
The whole setting is China in the 1990’s. Lu Xiaolu gets a job at a saccharin factory and the whole day to day routines in the factory are described in fascinating detail. He adjusts to the environment and makes the best of a bad situation by being headstrong and slightly out of step. As the story develops a picture of the Chinese system, as one of ignoring individual happiness, comes into view. He starts a relationship and it was interesting to get details of boy/ girl culture in modern China. This is a strange book and you need to mull it over in your mind when you finish it. I award this book 4 stars.
October 9, 2015
As others have noted, this book does not have much of a plot arc -- but that is the point. Neither does life. Small things are big in an individual life. Big things happen, and then life goes on again in its dailiness. In this book, life happens in 1990s China in a factory. I enjoyed this book. It is unsentimental, and the translator did a good job of explaining language jokes and allusions gracefully.
August 16, 2015
Once I got used to the depressive atmosphere in this book I really enjoyed the insights into the minds of factory workers and cadres during the 90ies in China. After having finished the book I actually appreciated the story more than during reading. Hope that makes sense.
November 22, 2015
Very funny realistic fiction. Fun world to get wrapped up in for a while.
December 31, 2021
A metà tra il romanzo di formazione e il romanzo di fabbrica, questo libro è la storia di Lu Xiaolu, un giovane operaio che vive nella città fittizia di Daicheng.
Lu Nei sicuramente non nasconde quanto sia dura e degradante la vita in fabbrica, allo stesso tempo ci strappa più di una risata con le avventure grottesche del giovane Lu Xiaolu, che è un operaio molto atipico, con la sua parlantina infarcita di termini inglesi (in un periodo storico, gli anni 90, in cui la lingua inglese non era ancora così diffusa). Si capisce subito che la fabbrica non era il suo destino, tant'è che la storia ci viene raccontata da un Lu Xiaolu più maturo che è ormai uno scrittore professionista a Shanghai.
Insomma, tra primi lavori, primi amori e prime esperienze sessuali cresciamo con questo protagonista a cui è facile affezionarsi. 🤗
La scrittura di Lu Nei è semplice e scorrevole e questa caratteristica è stata mantenuta nella traduzione. Come sempre molto interessanti le postfazioni che si trovano nelle edizioni di atmospherelibri.
Lu Nei sicuramente non nasconde quanto sia dura e degradante la vita in fabbrica, allo stesso tempo ci strappa più di una risata con le avventure grottesche del giovane Lu Xiaolu, che è un operaio molto atipico, con la sua parlantina infarcita di termini inglesi (in un periodo storico, gli anni 90, in cui la lingua inglese non era ancora così diffusa). Si capisce subito che la fabbrica non era il suo destino, tant'è che la storia ci viene raccontata da un Lu Xiaolu più maturo che è ormai uno scrittore professionista a Shanghai.
Insomma, tra primi lavori, primi amori e prime esperienze sessuali cresciamo con questo protagonista a cui è facile affezionarsi. 🤗
La scrittura di Lu Nei è semplice e scorrevole e questa caratteristica è stata mantenuta nella traduzione. Come sempre molto interessanti le postfazioni che si trovano nelle edizioni di atmospherelibri.
October 12, 2017
Young Babylon by Lu Nei is a satirical literary humor set in the nineties in China. It is the story of a young and headstrong Lu Xiaolu who at the age of nineteen feels the strong need to find a work, and thus begins his daily routine at a saccharin factory, which the author described in fascinating details. Insightful and delightfully funny, the book offers a close look at the socio-cultural life of the Chinese.
Through his portrayal of Lu Xiaolu, author Lu Nei crafted a pen picture of China which will surprise and shock many readers. Yet, it is an engrossing read, a firsthand account of the culture and custom of the Chinese people, and how the average people lead their daily life.
Through his portrayal of Lu Xiaolu, author Lu Nei crafted a pen picture of China which will surprise and shock many readers. Yet, it is an engrossing read, a firsthand account of the culture and custom of the Chinese people, and how the average people lead their daily life.
September 10, 2017
I laughed a lot. This is not a flowery account by any means, and the main character is just as hard on himself as those around him. He proves many times that he has no clue, no direction and can be all around useless to make a life changing decision. He needs strong hints and sometimes a smack to get anything done about improving himself. But, this account seems honest and full of raw emotions. And just for my future reference...I kinda imagined the main character looking like the actor Liu Ye while reading this.
July 2, 2018
Read in translation. This book was really slow going. The narrator is a young Chinese man in his 30s reflecting back on his late teens/early twenties. He did not earn a spot in a secondary school; thus, he had to work in a saccharine factory. Most of the story centers on his time in the factory and the various co-workers and shenanigans of said factory.
March 6, 2021
青春不是我的青春，但小路的文笔是真的好。冲着这个文笔真的想把他的书全找来读一遍
April 29, 2022
很搞笑,却又是个忧伤的故事...
August 3, 2022
这书居然有英文版还那么多人打分欸！
May 29, 2023
读晚了，早十年读会更喜欢。
June 24, 2016
This book tells the story of the difference between dreams and reality - and the occasional moments when they become the same thing. It all takes place in and around the microcosm of a factory in nineties China. What makes the book so memorable are the characters, the endless astute observations, clever metaphors and subtle life lessons. It also describes a completely different culture and environment and that's what makes it fascinating.
Anybody who criticises Young Babylon for lack of laughs must be deficient in the humour gene. I'll never forget the envious factory boys affectionately dick-whipping well-endowed Long Legs, or matchmaker Auntie Qin suggesting a boy with smelly feet will have to settle for a girl with bad breath, creating "double champion" offspring. And then there's the all the different names the workers give each other, like Good Balls, Old Bad-Ass, Little Pouty Lips and Six Fingers (amusingly referred to as "a dictionary of defects"). It's a real personal insight into the way a factory in China must have been back in that period of change. I personally found the factory aspect of it fascinating because of the history of my own family who had a presence in the Industrial Revolution in the north of England, but this book could be read and enjoyed by anyone in my opinion, so long as they don't want a straightforward love story with nothing but shallow sentiment.
The fate of Old Bad-Ass's "house snuggled to the river" is fast and funny, surrounded by the dark edge of realism I started to love this book for. I like a writer who is not afraid to make me feel uncomfortable once in a while.
The main character, Lu Xiaolu, is lovable because he's honest about not being lovable and constantly berates himself. ("I'm such a bastard!") Truth is, he's a good person inside, but has to find rebellious ways to survive in a tough, unfair world. How he deals with certain challenges is nothing short of heroic. He fights back against his enemies and the system itself with courage and, surprisingly, a deeply creative core and this fosters a tremendous sense of hope. (You also get a sense of the authors's own struggle to be heard). It feels like a part of you dies when he's relegated to the three shifts, but in true Lu Xiaolu style, he demonstrates how to overcome even that obstacle, too - although he's by no means invincible. Sometimes it seems he doesn't have a life plan at all and that can start to feel frustrating (especially when you're desperate for him to get his ass to Shanghai!) but as writer, Lu Nei, so beautifully puts it, "Having nowhere to go was in itself a kind of joy."
Occasionally, like the incident when Good Balls returns with the Popsicles hiding an injury, the emotion of the moment is lost slightly in translation. Thankfully, the story overall is highly emotional so these smaller moments of flatness are inconsequential.
But the mix of humour and stark reality is this book's biggest asset and the romantic element, which admittedly is a big part of the story, is not predictable or slickly sweet in the slightest, which made it refreshing and readable.
Whether Lu Xiaolu ever finds the dreamlike "green paradise that existed only in the account books" that all the young factory hands yearned for is something new readers can discover for themselves.
Anybody who criticises Young Babylon for lack of laughs must be deficient in the humour gene. I'll never forget the envious factory boys affectionately dick-whipping well-endowed Long Legs, or matchmaker Auntie Qin suggesting a boy with smelly feet will have to settle for a girl with bad breath, creating "double champion" offspring. And then there's the all the different names the workers give each other, like Good Balls, Old Bad-Ass, Little Pouty Lips and Six Fingers (amusingly referred to as "a dictionary of defects"). It's a real personal insight into the way a factory in China must have been back in that period of change. I personally found the factory aspect of it fascinating because of the history of my own family who had a presence in the Industrial Revolution in the north of England, but this book could be read and enjoyed by anyone in my opinion, so long as they don't want a straightforward love story with nothing but shallow sentiment.
The fate of Old Bad-Ass's "house snuggled to the river" is fast and funny, surrounded by the dark edge of realism I started to love this book for. I like a writer who is not afraid to make me feel uncomfortable once in a while.
The main character, Lu Xiaolu, is lovable because he's honest about not being lovable and constantly berates himself. ("I'm such a bastard!") Truth is, he's a good person inside, but has to find rebellious ways to survive in a tough, unfair world. How he deals with certain challenges is nothing short of heroic. He fights back against his enemies and the system itself with courage and, surprisingly, a deeply creative core and this fosters a tremendous sense of hope. (You also get a sense of the authors's own struggle to be heard). It feels like a part of you dies when he's relegated to the three shifts, but in true Lu Xiaolu style, he demonstrates how to overcome even that obstacle, too - although he's by no means invincible. Sometimes it seems he doesn't have a life plan at all and that can start to feel frustrating (especially when you're desperate for him to get his ass to Shanghai!) but as writer, Lu Nei, so beautifully puts it, "Having nowhere to go was in itself a kind of joy."
Occasionally, like the incident when Good Balls returns with the Popsicles hiding an injury, the emotion of the moment is lost slightly in translation. Thankfully, the story overall is highly emotional so these smaller moments of flatness are inconsequential.
But the mix of humour and stark reality is this book's biggest asset and the romantic element, which admittedly is a big part of the story, is not predictable or slickly sweet in the slightest, which made it refreshing and readable.
Whether Lu Xiaolu ever finds the dreamlike "green paradise that existed only in the account books" that all the young factory hands yearned for is something new readers can discover for themselves.
March 30, 2016
The rise of China from empire brought to poverty by the terrible authoritarian-collectivist ideas of the 20th century to a rapidly growing, urbanizing, mattering country is one of the most important developments of the present day and recent past, and yet I find it strangely underrepresented in popular culture. Beyond sweatshop jokes and stump speeches, the American psyche doesn't engage much with Chinese manufacturing, which to date has probably pulled tens of millions out of desperate poverty.
Young Babylon tells the story of Lu Xiaolu, a working class teenager in a Chinese manufacturing town. Starting at a saccharine factory after high school, Lu actually dreams of being a low-level official in the state's propaganda office, writing inspirational headlines and otherwise not doing much. In fact, not doing much seems to be everyone's goal, and if you've ever worked for a state-owned or state-run enterprise, you will recognize the characters at the factory. Mostly, the workshops are divided into fiefdoms of the well-connected party bosses, with most people's main goal being doing the bare minimum to keep from being fired. Fights and power struggles are common, not to mention harassment and corruption of all kinds.
The lack of incentives to advance hovers over the setting: what's the point of trying hard if you won't be rewarded? (The novel's brief foray into foreign-owned enterprises, which bring the discipline of the international market, is brief and entertaining, as is the visit of the Singapore delegation.) The message is sent early, as training for the job mostly consists of listening to generic safety advice, so that, "[i]f we had an accident, died, or got injured, it would show that we only had ourselves to blame and that it had nothing to do with [safety chief] Pu Nani." Lu, in the course of three years at the factory, meets a girl and [unrelatedly] grows up a little, in the process developing a strong voice. He begins by letting us know that "there were always confusing times in life," but by the end he's a poet, noting that it's "a shame that being poetic is almost a human defect."
Some of my favorite lines are below, not always great out of context but worthy of highlighting in my Kindle. Part of it might be that he and I are the same age and are reflecting on a youth that is distant in both time and space, and realizing, as he says, "No one gave a damn about the evidence of my youth."
Recommended.
"Learn a craft, and you'll never go hungry - do you understand?" [Advice I've gotten from my dad countless times.]
"I think this might have been his dream, but now that he was old, his dreams held no weight."
"Your whole life could go by without your realizing you were even living it, which made for a fairly pointless existence."
"Being a writer was more complicated than being a murderer. No wonder so many writers committed suicide."
"I never thought of myself as invincible, which meant that each time I was victorious, I really cherished it."
"These were conversations I'd forgotten. Occasionally I recalled them and felt like there was sludge in my blood, or a clot - and if it blocked my brain, I would die."
Young Babylon tells the story of Lu Xiaolu, a working class teenager in a Chinese manufacturing town. Starting at a saccharine factory after high school, Lu actually dreams of being a low-level official in the state's propaganda office, writing inspirational headlines and otherwise not doing much. In fact, not doing much seems to be everyone's goal, and if you've ever worked for a state-owned or state-run enterprise, you will recognize the characters at the factory. Mostly, the workshops are divided into fiefdoms of the well-connected party bosses, with most people's main goal being doing the bare minimum to keep from being fired. Fights and power struggles are common, not to mention harassment and corruption of all kinds.
The lack of incentives to advance hovers over the setting: what's the point of trying hard if you won't be rewarded? (The novel's brief foray into foreign-owned enterprises, which bring the discipline of the international market, is brief and entertaining, as is the visit of the Singapore delegation.) The message is sent early, as training for the job mostly consists of listening to generic safety advice, so that, "[i]f we had an accident, died, or got injured, it would show that we only had ourselves to blame and that it had nothing to do with [safety chief] Pu Nani." Lu, in the course of three years at the factory, meets a girl and [unrelatedly] grows up a little, in the process developing a strong voice. He begins by letting us know that "there were always confusing times in life," but by the end he's a poet, noting that it's "a shame that being poetic is almost a human defect."
Some of my favorite lines are below, not always great out of context but worthy of highlighting in my Kindle. Part of it might be that he and I are the same age and are reflecting on a youth that is distant in both time and space, and realizing, as he says, "No one gave a damn about the evidence of my youth."
Recommended.
"Learn a craft, and you'll never go hungry - do you understand?" [Advice I've gotten from my dad countless times.]
"I think this might have been his dream, but now that he was old, his dreams held no weight."
"Your whole life could go by without your realizing you were even living it, which made for a fairly pointless existence."
"Being a writer was more complicated than being a murderer. No wonder so many writers committed suicide."
"I never thought of myself as invincible, which meant that each time I was victorious, I really cherished it."
"These were conversations I'd forgotten. Occasionally I recalled them and felt like there was sludge in my blood, or a clot - and if it blocked my brain, I would die."
March 4, 2017
I hope this was a free read from Amazon. Maybe there was something lost in translation, because I really didn't enjoy this book. Neither the story nor the characters were interesting. I only made it to the end because I don't like to leave a book unfinished. I will say I learned a little bit about what living in China was like twenty or so years ago. But I was hoping for more.
October 21, 2015
I was in the mood for some international literature when Young Babylon came by way of promotional email, and I can't remember reading any contemporary Chinese authors before. It reminded me of those British working class novels, invariably set in the industrial north of England, set after the war but before the so-called Summer of Love. Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, that kind of thing. Though, for China, it all happened in the 90s. And at other times I was reminded of a Nick Hornby novel, though I'm not entirely sure why. The author, Lu Nei, is described in the back as having had various jobs, the first of which was a factory worker. I wonder how much of Young Babylon is autobiographical; presumably much of what the young protagonist, Lu Xiaolu, experiences in his first years in work happened to someone or other in the factory where Lu Nei once worked.
Our hero, Lu Xiaolu, presently in his thirties and living in Shanghai, is entertaining his girlfriend with the stories of his youth working in the chemical factory in Daicheng, a terrible industrial city. It begins with him flunking school and, despite loftier ambitions and inaccurate advice from his father, taking an apprentice job as a water pump fitter in a formaldehyde and saccharin factory. What follows is his rise and fall, over the course of a couple of years, ducking and diving, surviving and subverting the unjust bureaucratic rules of state and the corruption and vindictiveness of officials, where he can. Eventually all workers succumb to the force of greater economics, a changing China and the desire for international commerciality - they all end up doing the lowest job. However, Lu Xiaolu is feisty, rebellious and headstrong throughout his trials, and there is an underlying humour in his escapades. There is love, desire, sex and lost love too, as you might expect; no story of youth could be considered complete without it.
The novel was one of six promoted by Kindle and offered at a tempting price, presumably to raise its profile. I'd bought one of these regular offers before and it was awful and leaden; I gave up after three chapters. When I began reading Young Babylon, I had my doubts about it but it soon grew on me. I found it amusing and, as an insight into contemporary Chinese working class culture, strangely impressive. I liked it a lot.
Our hero, Lu Xiaolu, presently in his thirties and living in Shanghai, is entertaining his girlfriend with the stories of his youth working in the chemical factory in Daicheng, a terrible industrial city. It begins with him flunking school and, despite loftier ambitions and inaccurate advice from his father, taking an apprentice job as a water pump fitter in a formaldehyde and saccharin factory. What follows is his rise and fall, over the course of a couple of years, ducking and diving, surviving and subverting the unjust bureaucratic rules of state and the corruption and vindictiveness of officials, where he can. Eventually all workers succumb to the force of greater economics, a changing China and the desire for international commerciality - they all end up doing the lowest job. However, Lu Xiaolu is feisty, rebellious and headstrong throughout his trials, and there is an underlying humour in his escapades. There is love, desire, sex and lost love too, as you might expect; no story of youth could be considered complete without it.
The novel was one of six promoted by Kindle and offered at a tempting price, presumably to raise its profile. I'd bought one of these regular offers before and it was awful and leaden; I gave up after three chapters. When I began reading Young Babylon, I had my doubts about it but it soon grew on me. I found it amusing and, as an insight into contemporary Chinese working class culture, strangely impressive. I liked it a lot.
September 20, 2015
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In 1990s China, Lu Xiaolu is growing up in a town full of factories, where his only dream in life is to work at one of them. With few expectations comes little disappointment, and that’s what makes this depressing coming-of-age story so unique. Lu Xiaolu talks about having no future and no real opportunities, yet somehow he is fairly lighthearted about it – and as he works his way towards his goals, hope opens up in a dreary world.
Although Young Babylon is one man’s story of growing up – and it does seem like it might be at least partly Lu Nei’s story – it is also representative of events in China as a whole, and the issues of the nation in the 1990s. In a world where everyone in town wears the same coverall uniform, with only an “S” for saccharin or a “P” for pesticides to differentiate them, Lu Xiaolu still manages to retain his individuality. He also creates an entertaining cast of characters around him by giving his coworkers nicknames such as “Old Badass” and “Little Pouty Lips”. His interactions with others bring personality to factory life.
The “Babylon” of the title generally denotes luxury and corruption – and while there is little of the former in the factory town, there is much of the latter. Lu Xiaolu’s father bribes his bosses to get his son a job at one of the better factories, and Lu Xiaolu inches his way up the factory ladder with no real qualifications. He meets one man in particular who has dozens of certificates to his name, from accounting to engineering, yet he makes less money than Lu Xiaolu – it is a fairly damning comment on the Chinese bureaucratic system.
Lu Xiaolu often speaks in a derogatory manner about his parents and coworkers, but they seem to want what’s best for him for the most part – although they are preparing him for disappointment. And even though his descriptions are satirical in nature, they do put a human face on the Chinese factory workers, changing a foreign culture into something we can relate to. An enjoyable story from an intriguing voice in world literature.
I received this book for free from Amazon Crossing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In 1990s China, Lu Xiaolu is growing up in a town full of factories, where his only dream in life is to work at one of them. With few expectations comes little disappointment, and that’s what makes this depressing coming-of-age story so unique. Lu Xiaolu talks about having no future and no real opportunities, yet somehow he is fairly lighthearted about it – and as he works his way towards his goals, hope opens up in a dreary world.
Although Young Babylon is one man’s story of growing up – and it does seem like it might be at least partly Lu Nei’s story – it is also representative of events in China as a whole, and the issues of the nation in the 1990s. In a world where everyone in town wears the same coverall uniform, with only an “S” for saccharin or a “P” for pesticides to differentiate them, Lu Xiaolu still manages to retain his individuality. He also creates an entertaining cast of characters around him by giving his coworkers nicknames such as “Old Badass” and “Little Pouty Lips”. His interactions with others bring personality to factory life.
The “Babylon” of the title generally denotes luxury and corruption – and while there is little of the former in the factory town, there is much of the latter. Lu Xiaolu’s father bribes his bosses to get his son a job at one of the better factories, and Lu Xiaolu inches his way up the factory ladder with no real qualifications. He meets one man in particular who has dozens of certificates to his name, from accounting to engineering, yet he makes less money than Lu Xiaolu – it is a fairly damning comment on the Chinese bureaucratic system.
Lu Xiaolu often speaks in a derogatory manner about his parents and coworkers, but they seem to want what’s best for him for the most part – although they are preparing him for disappointment. And even though his descriptions are satirical in nature, they do put a human face on the Chinese factory workers, changing a foreign culture into something we can relate to. An enjoyable story from an intriguing voice in world literature.
I received this book for free from Amazon Crossing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2015
Young Babylon was supposed to reflect a young character's development from China's working class life-a life that was somewhat thrust upon him-to a life he actually wanted to live. The premise was the typical from-rags-to-riches kind of story but one set in a country I don't have a lot of background knowledge on and therefore could have been really interesting. What this story turned into was the character's, or really the author's, juvenile obsession with "good-looking" women and sex. It was unbearable. In fact, I am about half way through the book and I am going to have to call it quits. Up until now, the story has been one long narrative trying to set the stage of the main character's working class life without a whiff of ambition. The character has not encountered any real problem or made any realizations about his monotonous life. For a book to hold real promise, such should be evident at least half way through the book. Additionally, if I had to sum up the writing in two words it would be: Not Creative. Nicknaming every person the main character comes across is one thing, but then to give names such as "Little Pouty Lips" or "Old Bad Ass" really is just annoying. On top of that, having to read those nicknames several times because they are not exactly small characters in the book was a little too much for me. I would not recommend this book unless you knew what you were getting into and had the patience to get through it.
September 1, 2015
Overall a good book, plot and characters a bit awkward at times
Although it was a very enjoyable read for me, it felt a little disjointed. The story is told by the main character as a 30-something year old looking back on his life when he was 18-20ish working in a saccharin factory. It's an interesting story and I liked that the descriptions were very in depth. You get to know all the different social "classes" within the factory and how everyone relates to one another. The main character is portrayed as being "outlaw" or troublemaker while at the same time is a poet and is very introspective. I felt it was confusing at times because he seemed like 2 completely different people and it was hard to tell what his motives were for certain things that he did. I appreciate that the author gave his character complexity and I feel that a lot of the issues I had with this could be due to the translation. Some other reviewers have written about the vulgarity upsetting them. I have a fairly high tolerance for this, especially in literature so it didn't bother me at all. It was really a very immature type of vulgarity and I feel it added to the characterization of the narrator, being so young and native. Unless you are very sensitive to that type of thing I don't think it will take away from the story. While it wasn't one of the best books I've ever read, it was a well written and I interesting to read. Kept my attention well. Recommended.
Although it was a very enjoyable read for me, it felt a little disjointed. The story is told by the main character as a 30-something year old looking back on his life when he was 18-20ish working in a saccharin factory. It's an interesting story and I liked that the descriptions were very in depth. You get to know all the different social "classes" within the factory and how everyone relates to one another. The main character is portrayed as being "outlaw" or troublemaker while at the same time is a poet and is very introspective. I felt it was confusing at times because he seemed like 2 completely different people and it was hard to tell what his motives were for certain things that he did. I appreciate that the author gave his character complexity and I feel that a lot of the issues I had with this could be due to the translation. Some other reviewers have written about the vulgarity upsetting them. I have a fairly high tolerance for this, especially in literature so it didn't bother me at all. It was really a very immature type of vulgarity and I feel it added to the characterization of the narrator, being so young and native. Unless you are very sensitive to that type of thing I don't think it will take away from the story. While it wasn't one of the best books I've ever read, it was a well written and I interesting to read. Kept my attention well. Recommended.
August 29, 2015
Overall a good book
There were things about this book that I loved and things about this book that I didn't like. The story is told as if you are remembering memories of a certain part of your life, in this case the young man beginnings as a worker in Communist China in a very poor city . Because it's told is memories, it seems disjointed in time as it jumps from one year now and then it'll jump back to a different year and then back to a former year which is a little bit confusing. However I found the story fascinating in its explanation of life in the 1990s in Communist China . The writer writes with humor it would sometimes make me laugh out loud . I guess my biggest criticism of the book must be the way it was translated. Some of the phrases were repeated over and over again in the same chapter and it got to be annoying. And I really think this has to be the way it was translated it didn't translate well from Chinese to English. The epilogue was absolutely beautiful . The writing seems completely different than the way the story was told. But that maybe because the author actually changed as he's telling a story based on his own experiences as a factory worker during that period of China and he is now matured and has a different attitude about his life.
There were things about this book that I loved and things about this book that I didn't like. The story is told as if you are remembering memories of a certain part of your life, in this case the young man beginnings as a worker in Communist China in a very poor city . Because it's told is memories, it seems disjointed in time as it jumps from one year now and then it'll jump back to a different year and then back to a former year which is a little bit confusing. However I found the story fascinating in its explanation of life in the 1990s in Communist China . The writer writes with humor it would sometimes make me laugh out loud . I guess my biggest criticism of the book must be the way it was translated. Some of the phrases were repeated over and over again in the same chapter and it got to be annoying. And I really think this has to be the way it was translated it didn't translate well from Chinese to English. The epilogue was absolutely beautiful . The writing seems completely different than the way the story was told. But that maybe because the author actually changed as he's telling a story based on his own experiences as a factory worker during that period of China and he is now matured and has a different attitude about his life.
September 9, 2015
This book offers a slice of life viewpoint of living in rural China in the early 90s. Lu Xiaolu is a man who didn't really apply himself in school so he goes to work in the nearby saccharin factory. We get to hear his stories about the people he works with and his relationship with Bai Lan.
The narrative feels like if you're sitting there listening to someone tell stories about their life. Each chapter felt like it was another evening of stories from Lu Xiaolu. It's not in the perfect order and sometimes it goes off on other tangents before getting back on track.
Without knowing intimate details of factory life in China I cannot say if some of these stories are embellished or not. However, I wouldn't be surprised to hear if the various teams did have inside jokes and nicknames for one another, and rules not always being followed.
I found the book enjoyable and something fun to read, though I felt it got a bit more abrupt at the end. We also don't really get a sense of what happened in the years when Lu decides to leave his town and go to Shanghai. There was so much of a buildup in showing how he was different and factory life didn't really suit him, yet we really don't get to find out how he finally finds his success. At least we did get to see him grow up a bit.
The narrative feels like if you're sitting there listening to someone tell stories about their life. Each chapter felt like it was another evening of stories from Lu Xiaolu. It's not in the perfect order and sometimes it goes off on other tangents before getting back on track.
Without knowing intimate details of factory life in China I cannot say if some of these stories are embellished or not. However, I wouldn't be surprised to hear if the various teams did have inside jokes and nicknames for one another, and rules not always being followed.
I found the book enjoyable and something fun to read, though I felt it got a bit more abrupt at the end. We also don't really get a sense of what happened in the years when Lu decides to leave his town and go to Shanghai. There was so much of a buildup in showing how he was different and factory life didn't really suit him, yet we really don't get to find out how he finally finds his success. At least we did get to see him grow up a bit.
May 12, 2017
This book leaves a bizarre aftertaste.
The story takes you back in time to a developing China during the industrial revolution. With a narrative filled with nostalgia, the author painted a detailed picture about the lives of people growing up in the industrial villages. Lost, uneducated, and underpaid. Our character went about with his "journey of discovery" and watched as people around him struggling to make sense of life and humility, where moral values are often lost in grays.
It is a very difficult book to digest, especially if you're not familiar with the lives that underwent the industrialization in the 90s quite directly. Lu Nei did a very good job boiling things down bare and vivid as it could be about coming of age without having much to lose. How people manage to console themselves with trivial things that often too minimal to be noticed. And relationships that aren't exactly romantic yet still have the charms of their own.
It actually took me a year to finish this. The story doesn't compel you to pick it right up, but once you start reading it's very hard to put the book down.
The story takes you back in time to a developing China during the industrial revolution. With a narrative filled with nostalgia, the author painted a detailed picture about the lives of people growing up in the industrial villages. Lost, uneducated, and underpaid. Our character went about with his "journey of discovery" and watched as people around him struggling to make sense of life and humility, where moral values are often lost in grays.
It is a very difficult book to digest, especially if you're not familiar with the lives that underwent the industrialization in the 90s quite directly. Lu Nei did a very good job boiling things down bare and vivid as it could be about coming of age without having much to lose. How people manage to console themselves with trivial things that often too minimal to be noticed. And relationships that aren't exactly romantic yet still have the charms of their own.
It actually took me a year to finish this. The story doesn't compel you to pick it right up, but once you start reading it's very hard to put the book down.
August 21, 2015
Young Babylon was Lu Nei’s first novel, first published in 2007 and now expertly translated into English. It’s the story of 19 year old Lu Xiaolu who works on the factory shop floor but has ambitions to become a cadre – so that he can sit in an office and drink tea all day. It’s a funny and satirical account of Chinese factory life in the 1990s and a fascinating insight into what that life was like for ordinary workers. It seems at first that Lu Xiaolu is destined to stay a factory worker all his life, but his obvious intelligence shines through and it’s no surprise that he finds an escape route. The book has been compared to The Catcher in the Rye and I can see why, but to my mind this is a far funnier book, and although it’s rooted in Chinese culture and society manages to have a universal resonance. In fact it’s the first Chinese novel I’ve read that I’ve really been able to relate to. Although there are elements of farce at times overall it feels very realistic and it’s obvious that the novel is at least in part semi-autobiographical. Thoroughly enjoyable and a compelling portrait of working class life in China.
February 20, 2016
The main character and narrator, which may or may not be semi-autobiographical, is an unusual character for me, a blue-collar young (18-20) slacker who doesn't really care, is often crude and occasionally obscene, and yet reads literature and writes poetry to impress girls, at least at first. This is a really slow coming of age story. During most of it the only sign you have that anything is going to happen at all is occasional references to how the narrator is now thirty and works at an office job in the city. But what is happening - the twists of daily life - suck you in enough that I just had to read another bit here and another bit there and eventually the book was done. While parts of it might have happened in factory towns elsewhere, the book was very clearly grounded in the culture and location of modern China, with both reminders of the Cultural Revolution and incoming Western items being part of his world.
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