Comments on: Ma Jian’s Latest Novel Put Me in A Coma

By: JohnG

JohnG — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:54:36 +0000

Hi Tam

I agree with you, “Red Dust”, “Stick Out Your Tongue” and “The Noodle Maker” are all worth reading, but “Beijing Coma” unfortunately isn’t.

J.
J.

By: Tam

Tam — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:18:08 +0000

Ma Jian’s Red Dust was one of the novels I read prior to coming to China, and I really enjoyed it…kind of like “On the Road” Chinese-style. It was fresh, and felt dangerous, rather than being dry with politics. Thoroughly recommend it.
Good to be reminded of Ma Jian, I might try and track down some of his other stuff, though Beijing Coma, title and content, sound a little heavy for me.

By: JohnG

JohnG — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:07:23 +0000

@Dace maybe they’re afraid to admit they missed out on China’s economic miracle by remaining too political?

By: Dace

Dace — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:52:57 +0000

I liked Ma Jian’s first book although have yet to read any others. I also met a couple of Chinese in Australia a few months back who got to Aus as ‘refugees’ from the ’89 student movement. One of the guys was very anti-China, although from what he was saying, he also doesn’t realize that the place has changed in the past two decades. I mentioned that I work in an internet company here, but he refused to believe that China has internet at all…talked to him and one of his friends a few times, but they were both stuck in the ’89 time warp and didn’t want to acknowldge that many things are different now.

By: JohnG

JohnG — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 09:00:40 +0000

Ryan, I agree with you. Reading some of the articles that Ma Jian wrote in some major British papers to promote the book, it sounded like he still see China as the same way it was in 1989. That really makes him seem out of touch.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:55:43 +0000

Talking about this is a bit more depth with you last night has me curious about the book – if only to see if my opinion about it would be the same.

Not to make too sweeping a generalization, but I believe that many of the ’89 dissidents overseas are a bit out of touch with where China is 20 years later.

And, as those days largely defined their lives, it’s not too big of a stretch to wonder if maybe they cling to the idea of it a little too strongly.

By: My Writing in Other Places at One-Eyed Panda’s Journal

My Writing in Other Places at One-Eyed Panda’s Journal — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:31:51 +0000

[...] finally got around to putting up a new post on LostLaowai about Ma Jian’s Beijing [...]