Broken Wings

by Jia Pingwa, Nicky Harman (Translator)

Evening, I made my one hundred and seventy-eighth scratch on the cave wall.

Despite her humble rural beginnings, Butterfly regards herself as a sophisticated young woman. So, when offered a lucrative job in the city, she jumps at the chance.

But instead of being given work, she is trafficked and sold to Bright Black, a desperate man from a poor mountain village.

Trapped in Bright's cave home with her new "husband", she plans her escape… not so easily done in this isolated and remote village where she is watched day and night.

Will her tenacity and free spirit survive, or will she be broken?

Genres: China, Chinese Literature

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jia_Pingwa

Reviews

[Natasha Niezgoda · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars - due to translation

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I could not get into the story. I can appreciate the subject matter because it is such a crucial topic that needs to be discussed - human trafficking - but this plot lacked poise, finesse, and clarity.

Also, as some other reviewers have noted, the translation made the dialogue come across as very robotic and awkward.

Thank you, Net Gallery for the copy. I'm sorry it didn't work out.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost wish that Jia Pingwa’s afterword in this novel was, instead, a foreword. In it, the author explains some of the cultural conditions in China and also talks about his writing process. Reading about both those topics actually changed (for the better) my view of the book and on reflection I would have liked to have read them before reading the story itself.

One of the features of the books from China that I have previously read has been their cultural context. All of them, I think, have tracked China through periods of huge social change, normally starting from The Great Leap Forward in 1960. This book is very different. Here we have a community and a way of life that is described in a way that suggests it has not changed for many, many years. And also that it is not keen to change any time soon. There are clues that suggest it is set in a fairly recent time (e.g. a mobile phone), but the lives of the people in the village seem ancient, filled with superstition and very little in the way of technology. The book shows us a side of China that is probably unknown to most people from the West, even those who visit China for themselves.

The story is based on a real life experience of one of the author’s friends’ daughters. Butterfly is an intelligent and ambitious young woman who moves to the city, is tricked and then kidnapped. She is sold to a man in a rural community and left to be his (unwilling) wife not knowing where she is and unable to contact anyone outside of the village. This is her story and it is at times very bleak. This practice of “bride buying” is talked about in an interview between the books’s translator and editor: http://www.asianbooksblog.com/2019/01.... In his afterword, the author writes:

Let me be clear: kidnapping of women and children is brutal and cruel and should be cracked down on. But every time there is a crackdown, the traffickers are severely punished and the police are lauded for their heroic rescues, no one mentions the fact that the cities have plundered wealth, labour power and women from the villages. No one talks about the men left behind in the wastelands to wither like gourds on the frame (an image used within the novel itself), flowering once, then dying fruitless. These are the last villages in China, and the men are probably the last bachelors too.

One of the strange elements of Pingwa’s book (there are several more!) is the attitude of the villagers to their captive. There are times when Butterfly is treated brutally, but there are also many occasions when she is cared for. There is a character called great-grandad who appears to take her under his wing and nurture her. It becomes clear that the kidnappers have acted out of desperation rather than cruelty, even if some of what they do is barbaric.

In the afterword, Pingwa also discusses his writing technique and style:

There are many ways of writing a novel but nowadays it seems to be the fashion to write violent, extreme narratives. Maybe that is what today’s readers want, but it does not suit me. I have always thought that my writing was somehow akin to ink-wash paintings, paintings in words you might say.

This approach leads to a light touch from the author which I initially interpreted as slightly unemotional writing but which I soon realised was actually leaving the door open for the reader’s imagination. Pingwa does not spoon-feed his reader. So, as Butterfly struggles to keep herself emotionally and mentally stable, this is not described in great detail but is rather hinted at. There are times in the book when it is not clear whether what is happening is real or is a dream (you need to read it to decide for yourself which bit might be which; at times I thought maybe the whole thing is a dream of some kind, at other times I thought it was all real) and there are hints of magical realism in an otherwise straightforward story that leave the reader wondering again about the reality of what he/she is reading.

The only thing I found off-putting about the book is the names of the characters. Pingwa’s light touch combined with names that read almost like cartoon characters create a surreal atmosphere for what is a dark story. It took me a long time while reading this book to come to terms with the names. There were several places in the book where I wondered if being able to read it in the original Chinese would be an advantage. The names is one of those things, but also some of the word play in the snatches of poetry or songs or in some of great-grandad’s mystical sayings. I have the feeling that knowing Chinese would show some subtlety to what the author is doing with language, but I don’t know that for sure as I don’t know a single character of Chinese.

Overall, this was what I would describe as a 3.5 star read. I have rounded up to 4 stars in this case mainly because of the subject matter and the fact that I think the book deserves a wider readership as it shines a light into a dark area.

My thanks to ACA Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize how painful it would be reading this book, but I powered on as I suspected it would also be powerful; and it was! Butterfly is kidnapped and sold to Bright to be his bride. She is kept in a cave and abused regularly even as Bright sometimes treats her kindly. It is clear in this village that this is a common occurrence and none of the other villagers attempt to help her or think of her as a victim. I was also blown away by the ending and to discover this is based on a true story is heartbreaking. So know that it's a story worth reading but be prepared to deal with the sex trafficking element that is prevalent throughout.
Thanks to JellyBooks for this ARC!

[McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I currently live in China and my students have told me about Jia Pingwa and his books. I had never had a chance to read a book by him until now. I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for giving me this ARC, but I would like to add that all opinions are my own.

I think that for someone who is unfamiliar with either Chinese literature or Chinese culture that they would have a lot of problems with this book. To start off the naming situation would be quite difficult for some foreigners, but the thing to remember that they are using a literal translation of their name in Chinese. Chinese people usually have a name that reflect some sort of quality or wish that their parents would like them to have. It would be like if they translated our names to be the literal meaning in a book so the main character would be "Blessed by God" and his girlfriend would be "Raven haired" or something like that.

Also, it was mentioned before and I agree that the author's note at the end should be a forward instead. It explains so much to the reader in terms of the translation, the work itself, and where the story came from. It will make the story clearer yet for the Western audience.

And in case you are mystified by some of the things that occur in this novel. My students have told me of similar traditions and events such as the ones in the novels, so the author is giving a fairly accurate portrayal of the life that people in these villages probably have.

All the things that happen to the main character, Butterfly, are absolutely heart breaking and the ending is going to confound most of its foreign audience where the emphasis on family and the next generation isn't as strong of a cultural factor as it is in China. I also feel a bit bad about saying this, but I would not recommend this as a first foray into Chinese literature. It would be better for someone who has already read a few novels and are familiar with some of the different things happening in the culture and the style of Chinese authors. However, this book does discuss a very serious subject that does need more light shed upon it.

I do hope that more people read this book, but I acknowledge that it will not be for everyone. I will be posting a review on my blog for this novel at a later date this week.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book that delves into how violent humans can be, in this case-kidnapping young girls and selling them off in rural areas where they are chained and forced to serve as wives, I'll say that I do wish many more people would read it, with more heart and patience.

I believe we are now used to expression being all up in your face, telling it as it is, but Jia Pingwa's writing style leaves it up to the reader, and this can have two reactions; first you are either frustrated at (the awkward names of characters) and ascertaining the emotions of the characters and so you give up and click on the 2-star rating or simply say you "DNF," or second; you find yourself reading through to the end and wondering just how much circumstances broke Butterfly and why of all the names she had to get that, when it seemed like they always clipped her wings, degraded her---took her against her will and forced themselves on her?

So, it makes for an interesting approach to writing about human kidnapping and the trauma on families and how over the years China has grappled with this. It is also heartbreaking to know that this story was inspired by a true account and you only get a glimpse of this in the afterword.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

[Maranda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Broken Wings is the title written by Jia Pingwa, and then it was translated by Nicky Harman. This is a story of human trafficking of a young women by men of a village in need of women to breed with. This work was very confusing with the odd names and the flat characters. Plot did not keep this reader wanting to turn the page. A kidnapped women is stolen from her mother and held in a cave. Upon her attempted escape she was attached by her captors with brutal kicks. Nightmarish living conditions was described to add to this works yuck factor. "Copy of this was provided by Alain Charles Asia Publishing via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

[T Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting story about real problems in China. It's a little slow in the beginning, but gets better, so please hang in there. There's a great bunch of characters, just like in real life, and you will get to know a very strong young lady.

[Michelle Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

VIPKid Bookworms Book Club March 2021

I really wanted to like this book. We had picked 2 books for China - one was historical, and one was written originally in Chinese, then translated (Broken Wings).

The subject is very heavy, and not something I would normally read. There were so many characters in this book, that were just space fillers. Half of these characters are just background characters and have no point being in the story. It was very difficult to keep them all straight, especially when they are not main characters.

I do like seeing the evolution of Butterfly as the book goes on. She starts very angry, as you can imagine. By the end of the book, she seems happier, especially once Rabbit is there. It's like she was adapting to life being given the hand she was dealt.

The end was absolutely gut wrenching. I thought we were finally going to find out the truth and everything was going to be "happily ever after". It was all a dream. She's still stuck there.

You can purchase the book here -

https://amzn.to/3m4MxIf

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twenty-year-old Butterfly is kidnapped and taken to a remote village to be the wife of Bright Black, a farmer/shopkeeper who keeps her captive in his cave home. All the villagers are complicit because they know how she came to be in the village and are aware of her imprisonment. Narrated by Butterfly, the novel focuses on her struggles with her situation; she is determined to find a way to escape or be rescued.

China’s one child policy has resulted in a gender imbalance as more male children than female children were born; now young men are having difficulty finding wives. Apparently bride kidnapping has recently resurfaced in some parts of China. In many cases, women are kidnapped and sold to men in poorer regions of the country. This is what happens to Butterfly. In an afterword, the author mentions that her story is based on what happened to the daughter of a neighbour in his home village.

Obviously, the reader will feel sympathy for Butterfly. She is tricked and taken far away from her mother, her only family. When the book opens, she has been held 178 days. The villagers come and gawk at her, but no one helps her since capturing a bride seems to be an accepted practice. Bright Black is not the only one who has purchased an abducted woman because “there were plenty of men in the village and a dozen or more were wifeless, ‘bare branches’ as they were called.” There is a strong desire to continue the family line: “Bright’s dad was scared stiff that his son would never marry . . . and the family would die out.” It is expected, therefore, that Butterfly is raped so she can ensure the continuation of the Black family.

Butterfly is brutalized but it is obvious that the author also wants the reader to have some sympathy for Bright as well. He is not totally evil. There are several instances of his caring and compassion for Butterfly. He buys special food for her such as steamed wheat buns; “There were always plenty of soybeans left, and I knew he’d saved them for me.” When Butterfly is experiencing great pain, Bright says, “’I won’t say anything, you scream and swear all you like if it makes it hurt less.’” In the Afterword, the author writes about the “barbarous practice of snatching women” but he also bemoans that “The recent transformation of China has led to the biggest migration of people from the countryside to the city in history. . . . In remote backward areas, the men who lack the ability, the skills or the funds to leave, are left behind in the villages to scratch a living on the land. They have no possibility of marrying. . . . no one mentions the fact that the cities have plundered wealth, labour power and women from the villages. No one talks about the men left behind in the wastelands to wither like gourds on the frame, flowering once, then dying fruitless.”

The book is written in a detached, unemotional style which is unusual and unexpected because Butterfly is the narrator. Her emotions, for example, are not described in great detail. When she is raped, she has an out-of-body experience; her spirit leaves her body and she describes only what she sees being done to Butterfly. The author explains that he cannot write “violent, extreme narratives” and, instead, compares his writing to “ink-wash paintings” whose essence lies in “the ‘suggestion’ rather than the detail.”

There are many minor characters, most of whom are known by their nicknames: Blindy is Bright’s blind uncle; a stutterer is called Tongue-Trip; and a woman who suffers from acne is addressed as Auntie Spotty-Face. These names often seem callous and offensive.


The character who seems most respected is Great-Grandad who tries to teach Butterfly to make the best of her situation. He advises her to “’Just pick out the good [beans]’” and tells her, “’if you treasure something precious, it’ll last longer than plastic, wood or iron.’” He always tries to see the positive; when a man is teased that he can’t see heaven, Great-Grandad says, “’Well, heaven’s looking at him.’”
Over time, Butterfly seems to adopt Great-Grandad’s attitude because she makes observations like “it was only by meeting people halfway that you could grab an opportunity and gain some momentum from it, and then everything went easy” and “The stones anchoring the fleeceflower root stayed put – they couldn’t grow roots or wings, they just got covered in muddy water but they didn’t complain, did they?”

There are sections of the book where focus is placed on things that seem irrelevant. For instance, Butterfly mentions that she has learned how to make corn pudding and then describes the process in great detail; the making of buckwheat noodles follows; and then there’s a lengthy section describing the many ways potatoes are eaten. Surely all of this information is not needed just to show that she is adapting to life in the village?

This book did not always keep my interest. The dispassionate style just doesn’t feel natural given the subject matter. Dialogue sounds robotic and there are even strange non-sequiturs: “Then, after Padlock’s wife got stung to death by hornets, Good-Son made up his mind to leave and get a labouring job in the city.” What’s the connection between the death of one man’s wife and another man’s decision to leave the village for the city?

Jia Pingwa is apparently one of China’s most popular writers, so I looked forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, though it addresses an important issue, the novel is not a compelling read.

Note: I received a digital galley of the book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).

[Doretha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a young woman who gets lured away by the promise of a well-paying job and is then kidnapped. She is sold to Bright Black to be his wife and then held in a cave for over a year. At the start of the book it is day 178 and her situation seems quite bleak. It seems it is common practice in the village for men to buy brides and none of the other villagers attempt to help her. Although she is severely mistreated at times, Bright and his family also show her great kindness and care. It becomes clear that the kidnappers acted out of desperation so that they can have children and build a family, since most of the young village girls went off to the city to work there.
Even though Butterfly is brutally mistreated, it is also clear that the author wants the reader to see Bright in a sympathetic light. There are times when he is gentle and caring and one can see that he would make a great husband under different circumstances. Although I had a deep feeling of sympathy for Butterfly, I also felt compassion for the people living in this village and the desperate measures they have to resort to so that they can build a family and a future. In the end Butterfly starts to – kind off – make peace with her situation but is only a shell of her former self.
At the end of the book there is an Afterword, and as is said in some other reviews, I agree that this should have been in the beginning. For readers like myself that aren’t familiar with Chinese literature, this would have provided some context as to the situation in China. In his afterword, the author writes about this barbaric practice of “snatching women” and he clearly condemns it by saying: “Let me be clear: kidnapping of women and children is brutal and cruel and should be cracked down on. But every time there is a crackdown, the traffickers are severely punished and the police are lauded for their heroic rescues, no one mentions the fact that the cities have plundered wealth, labour power and women from the villages. No one talks about the men left behind in the wastelands to wither like gourds on the frame, flowering once, then dying fruitless.” In these backward areas the men who lack the ability, the skills or the funds to leave are left behind in the villages. They have no possibility of marrying and are driven to desperate measures.
This provides some of the context that was lacking for me. It was also a surprise and shocking to learn – at the end – that the story is based on true events. My heart aches for the young women caught up in this. I wouldn’t say this was an exciting or gripping read but a good book nonetheless.
Thanks to JellyBooks for this ARC!

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the moving story of Butterfly, a young Chinese girls who longs for a “modern” life in spite of her humble beginnings and is delighted to receive what she thinks is a lucrative job offer in the city. Unfortunately she soon discovers that she has been kidnapped as part of a human trafficking ring and been sold to a poor peasant in a remote Chinese village. The men in the village all want wives but the young women have all migrated to towns and cities and there are no opportunities for the men left behind. How she deals with her predicament makes for a page-turning story but not always one that is easy to relate to, because the characters, even Butterfly herself, are described in rather a flat detached manner and I never felt that I really got to know or empathize with any of them - for it is not only Butterfly who suffers. In spite of Butterfly’s emotional turmoil, I never fully managed to get inside her head. This is a problem I often have with Chinese literature. I find there is quite an emotional disconnect between me and the characters, and I’m not sure whether this is due to narrative techniques or simply cultural differences. Nevertheless, the story remains an absorbing one, not least when you discover in the afterword that it is based on a true story and this kidnapping of Chinese women is a common practice in China. Unusually, it’s perhaps helpful to read the afterword first to enable the western reader to more easily navigate the complexities of the novel. I certainly felt that it added to my appreciation. Overall this is an enjoyable novel that sheds light on a feature of Chinese life I knew nothing about and for that alone I’m glad to have read it. It also stands, in spite of some quibbles, as a compelling read as it is difficult to abandon Butterfly without finding out her ultimate fate.

[Star · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this translation of Jia Pingwa's book was very depressing and uncomfortable. I have to confess that this was a DNF reading project for me. The subject matter was human trafficking. The main character was tricked, kidnapped and subsequently sold as an unwilling bride to a total stranger in a remote rural village. The villagers are all in cahoots with this illegal practice. I was distressed by the plight of Butterfly, the main character, and am confounded and abhorred by the thought that the villagers, though influenced by tradition and superstition, did not view this practice of kidnap and rape as wrong or immoral. I reached the point where Butterfly became pregnant to her captive and could not continue. As this book is based on a real life experience, it makes the story painful and unpleasant. Even though the writer in his afterwords said that '..no one mentions the fact that the cities have plundered wealth, labour power and women from the villages. No one talks about the men left behind in the wastelands to wither like gourds on the frame, flowering once, then dying fruitless..' I can not find it in me to sympathise. In reflection, it might not be entirely true that the men were left to waste as a result the cities plundering the villages of their women. One child policy and gender selection must have played its part also.

[Arianna Mclaughlin (arianna.reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Broken Wings tackles a heavy and important topic- human trafficking. This is a topic I am passionate about (and volunteer with anti-human tracking organizations in Canada) so I went in with high hopes. Ultimately, this wasn’t the novel for me. I found the writing style detached (unsure if on purpose, result of translation or a cultural difference in styles) which made it very hard for me to feel for the characters and become invested in the story. At the same time, too much detail was given about mundane daily tasks, when I was craving more details about the emotional journey of Butterfly. Overall, an important topic, but the style was not a fit for me but am sure others will appreciate it.

Thank you to #Netgalley and ACA Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my hones review.

[Myreadbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank the Netgalley website and ACA Publishing for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted by the cover of this book, it shows the beautiful Butterfly in profile. Nice title of the book where butterflies fly away.

It all starts when Butterfly is offered a fruitful job, she doesn't say no. Except that she is sold to a man and will end up a prisoner in a poor village in the mountains. She's trapped and will have to refuse the advances of her executioner. She will do everything she can to try to escape but it's difficult when you don't let go of her. Will she survive?

A novel read in one go, so much so that I found the story so moving at certain passages, captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns with the character of Butterfly very endearing.

[Jennifer Gottschalk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Set in Modern day China, Broken Wings is had a promising but it did not deliver.

I can't help but wonder if a great deal was simply lost in translations, as it stands, the novel is tedious and long winded. The writing is extremely dense and is liberally peppered with swear words, and scenes where it is hard for the reader to work out what is happening.

The underlying story which is inspired by fact is deeply unnerving but the ending is unsatisfying.

I eventually lost patience with the repetitive nature of the book and ended up skimming to the end.

This is a confused, rambling tale that is lengthy and at times, incomprehensible.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Broken Wings tells the story of a young woman who is kidnapped and sold to be a wife to a man in a village where there are few options for marriage. The topic and the story are gripping, and the cultural details of life in an isolated Chinese village are fascinating. Unfortunately, the telling of the story is off-putting. The dialogue feels stiff, and the voice of Butterfly doesn’t feel true. That could be the fact of a male writer writing from a female perspective or a translation limitation. Perhaps it is even a cultural difference. Regardless, the book drags at times and I found myself skimming long passages. Thank you to Jellybooks for the opportunity to read another book!

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

Thank you netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

The translation of this book was really bad. I don't know if there wasn't proper translation for the context, but it came across almost unreadable in English. There were many graphic sexual scenes including rape. A lot of the dialogue came across very unnatural and I believe with the cultural differences, it was too hard to translate properly to English. The chapters were extremely long and overall it was very hard for me to get through and I didn't really enjoy reading it, unfortunately.

[Kyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book received through NetGalley

This was my first Chinese novel and I found it slow going at first. I wanted to know what happened to Butterfly so I kept re-opening the book and continuing it. Overall I liked this book. What I loved the best was the afterward at the end that explained how the book came to be and what it was based on. I feel like the rest of the book would've made more sense if it was the foreward instead but overall I'm glad I read it. As the book went on I felt like you get to really know Butterfly and understand why she does and is doing what she does.

[Arch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to get through, the language alternated between shocking/crass and poetic. Perhaps you could say that the crudeness of Butterfly's voice is one way of depicting the ugliness and pain of her situation, but it made it harder to read about an already difficult life. The author's afterword was instrumental in putting this story into context, and conveyed the subtext much more clearly than the actual story. I don't want to read this particular book again the way it was written, but the story painted in the afterword will keep me thinking about it for a long while yet.

[Jayasree B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my God! this book is such a moving read.
And it opens up another world that one can't imagine exists even now. But the book brings about such a drastic depiction of this little village hidden away in some remote corner of the world and the practices and rituals of its people.
An absolutely well written, and well translated, book.

For more book reviews, visit Frost At Midnite.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving read and a very well written book, despite the problems I had with characters' names. The story itself was absolutely heartbreaking, particularly with the knowledge that it was based on a true story. I found "Broken Wings" to be a thought-provoking and engaging read which was, for me, very worthwhile.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this novel, especially as it covers the important issue of human trafficking, but I struggled to read it. A lot of things got a bit "lost in translation" and the writing was detached (especially in regards of the rape), which made me not engage and invest that much in the characters and the story. I also found the book a bit confusing at times. I suspect that if I was able to read Chinese, I would probably like the book a lot more than I did.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thought provoking read, although I found it hard to get into. It covers the kidnapping of a young Chinese woman from the city to become the wife of a peasant in a village with few woman. She is locked up and watched. Although it is hard to get to grips with the story it is well worth the read, especially as based on true events

[Ileana Renfroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for the weary at heart. Broken Wings tells the story of a woman who is kidnapped and taken to a mountain village in which she is imprisoned and later raped at the home of the man who bought her. It's a heartwrenching story that was difficult to read. Well written.

I was provided this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Difficult writing style to follow, and I'm not interested in an old man's writings about women suffering at the hands of men.

[Katrina Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult read due to the subject matter, as well at the beginning it was a bit confusing and slow. The end was more engaging but a surprise at the end made it a poignant story.

[Yu · Rating 5 out of 5]

这是一个真实的故事。—最痛
贾平凹写depersonalization很棒

[Dinghao Luo · Rating 1 out of 5]

賈在接受「青閱讀」採訪時說：「如果不走近人贩子，你肯定是愤怒的，恨不得把人贩子和买这个女人的人千刀万剐。但是为什么从被拐卖的胡蝶眼中观察这群生活在最底层的乡村的人，他们生活的困难，村里没有女人的情况是我们没法了解的⋯⋯ 这个胡蝶，你不需要怪她吗？你为什么这么容易上当受骗⋯⋯」

[Sadiq. PhD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving read and a very well written book. Being in China for four years, I understand the cultural and historical background of this book. I didn't know about Jia until my Chinese students told me about Jia Pingwa and his books, and I am happy to discover some contemporary Chinese writers like Jia pingwa, Yu Hua and others. Someone who is unfamiliar with either Chinese literature or Chinese culture would have a lot of problems with this book. For instance, as most of the readers mentioned the naming situation would be quite difficult for most to understand, but the thing to remember that they are using a literal translation of their name in Chinese. Chinese people usually have a name that reflect some sort of quality or wish that their parents would like them to have.

[Misa · Rating 3 out of 5]

La verdad no sé si ponerle 4 estrellas porque en lo literario es un muy buen libro, aunque me hizo pasar demasiados corajes y por eso mi hígado clama que le ponga solo 3...
_/La flor suprema _/ es una novela que plantea la problemática de las consecuencias de la política del hijo único por familia, instaurada por el gobierno chino en 1979. La cual ha provocado que haya pueblos poblados solo por hombres solteros, pues al no haber en sus poblaciones mujeres con quienes casarse se enfrentan a dos disyuntivas: una conformarse a la soltería y a la extinción de su linaje o comprar una mujer soltera secuestrada de alguna ciudad...
Estas mujeres que son engañadas por tratantes de blancas con la promesa de un trabajo bien remunerado son secuestradas y llevadas a regiones muy remotas, donde las encierran o encadenan para que no puedan escapar, violadas y preñadas por los hombres que las compraron para que tengan a sus hijos (varones, obviamente ni Dios quiera que tengan la mala suerte de que nazca una niña), y ya con la criatura en su vientre poco a poco les van dando libertades, confiados en que por la fuerza de la costumbre y el Síndrome de Estocolmo, las jóvenes ya se han conformado a su nueva realidad y han sido asimiladas por el pueblo... Lo peor es que el lector no puede odiar a quienes compran a la joven, pues no son malas personas, aunque ante la necesidad realizan acciones que para mí como mujer occidental, me parecen terribles y abominables.
Es una novela difícil y odiosa por el tema y la situación que plantea, aunque espléndidamente escrito y desarrollado.