For a boy in a remote region inside Chairman Mao's China, his English lessons make more sense than much else that happens. Tumultuous times, fondness for learning and childhood curiosities power the plot in Wang Gang's novel, titled English (coming in April 2009, Viking, 310 pages).
This sensitive coming-of-age novel set in the city of Urumchi provides an Asian equivalent to the stories of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, complete with passages and a style to rival Mark Twain's classic novels. The protagonist, sensitively named Love Liu, a son of two talented architects, aspires to master English and become “a gentleman” like his schoolteacher, Second Prize Wang. A migrant from the big city of Shanghai, Wang may be “morally suspect”, but Love doesn't care.
Among many memorable characters, the protagonist competes fiercely against two classmates, sinister-sounding Garbage Li and delicate Sunrise Huang. With the latter, he shares secrets and affections.
As a maturing boy, Love battles raging hormones, but reserves his greatest lust for an English dictionary, the only one he's ever seen, stashed on a shelf in his teacher's room. Can he borrow or steal it? Definitely magic flows between its covers.
Battered by the Cultural Revolution's political windstorms, Love must “study hard and make progress daily”, as Chairman Mao directs. But he realizes that his parents mistrust him, that uttering the words “Down with Chairman Mao” means self-destruction and that he enjoys watching public executions. “In my childhood, nothing was more fun than watching bullets rip through human flesh and seeing scarlet blood spurting out.”
One crisis follows another. Counter-revolutionary slogans appear at school. There are suicides, murder plots, adulteries and hints of madness, even an earthquake, hydrogen bombs and a peeping-tom scandal.
This is the story of a young life swayed by the momentous events shaping history in a fascinating nation. Readers of all ages from all backgrounds will recognize aspects of their own childhoods. But many twists in the tale couldn't happen at another place or time.
The protagonist learns plenty and experiences intense pleasures. Often, the causes of grief and distress threaten to engulf everyone. “Silence fell over the house. Then Father's crying pierced the silence. It was like the howling of a wolf.”
Evidently, Wang relied on his own experiences when growing up in Western China. One of Asia's leading novelists, he lives in Beijing.
First published in China, English became a bestseller there. This deft translation by Martin Merz and Jane Weizhen Pan should do well too. A great book delivers insight and enjoyment, no matter where it's written or read.
Approval rating: 83 per cent.
For more information: www.picador.com
(November 4, 2007)
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