Тежка, мрачна, черна, песимистична книга, която ми приседна почти в буквалния смисъл. Хем харесвам описателния и изчистен, лековат начин по който Июн Ли разказва, хем се чудех реалистични ли са всички нещастия, които се струпват на главите на героите. Парадоксални са постъпките, размислите, желанията на всички мъже и жени в "Калната река" - точно някой от тях успее да предизвика съчувствие и симпатия и веднага след това е готов с постъпка, грозна и осъдителна според всички параграфи.Първите стотина страници ми бяха най-трудни, след това приех обстановката, особеното време, в което характерите са потопени и което изкарва на преден план най-пошлото и низкото в човека.Един роман, в който има прекалено много смърт и насилие; в който семействата не дават обич, разбиране и подкрепа; а любовта - дори и да я има не успява да се реализира. Един роман, който няма да препоръчвам, защото четенето му е като да застанеш срещу всичко подло и неприемливо в човешката природа. И да не можеш да напривш нищо, за да противостоиш. A very good story of the immediate post-Mao period in China, where fluctuating & uncertain trends in the direction of the government are reflected in the events taking plce in a small town-Muddy River. The story starts with the retrial of Gu Shan, who had spent 10 yrs in prison for anti communist activities, though she had previously been a rabid Red Guard denouncing even her parents & destroying their valued possessions,but had had a moral reawakening. The retrial led to her death sentence & execution. Kai is the radio announcer with the beautiful voice who reads all the propaganda uncritically. She has married up into one of the top families in town-close to the Mayor, to Han the son of 2 committed communists. Th execution of Shan & the use of her kidneys for a top communist official lead to her & a coterie of friends around a poet Jeiling, to condemn this unfair sentence & to seek a posthumous pardon. They arrange for this to be done at a special meeting occurring after a traditional holiday & try to persuade the townfolk to attend & sign a petition. This is happening when in Beijing "the wall of democracy" has been allowed on which anyone may post their thoughts without fear of retribution, suggesting a less repressive direction of the government. Han's parents & the Mayor, rewarded by 3 TV's & TV stands, for their help in securing the kidneys, are strongly opposed to this new democratic trend & afraid to lose their privileges. The tide will turn in the capital & in Muddy River, leading to the arrests of Kai & her associates & all who took part in the demonstration, and ending with Kai's execution.There are subplots involving a couple with 7 children. the middle daughter Nini, born crippled because her mother was kicked in the stomach when pregnant by Shan. This unfortunate daughter pairs up with a maladjusted young man who wants to marry her, but who will be swept up in the arrests, so she ends up a vagrant on the road with an old couple the Huas, who had been vagrants, had settled down in town for a few years, and went back on the road. There's also a boy Tong who shows up at the protest meeting & signs his alcoholic -father's name-the latter will be arrested later-while the boy will denounce all the people he can remember seeing at the meeting, achieving notoriety & Red Hero status.A very sad tale, well told.
What do You think about Os Excluídos (2010)?
I don't like stories where dogs get hurt or killed. (arf)
—cjcslp
Wow. What an outstanding book. Finished it in 2 days.
—Megs
