In the final weeks of World War II, when Walter Kempowski was 15 years old, he watched tens of thousands of his fellow Germans scramble westward through his hometown from their once-conquered terri
Ma Jian’s China Dream is a dissident novel in all senses of the term. It’s a novel written by a dissident: “every novel [Ma has] written has been banned in the mainland.
“a rambling, innovative, cerebral, and wildly entertaining ‘trippy’ journey that drives home essential questions while providing none of the answers . . .”
For nine years Lucy has been working as a part-time librarian at a small Arizona university and struggling to complete a Ph.D. program in classic literature.
“Listen up, Netanya baby! We’re gonna throw down the mother of all shows tonight . . . Yeah, open up that hook, table ten, set ’em free . . . there you go!”
A great story transports readers to a milieu with its concomitant sights, sounds, and interesting dialogue. Ideally the plot captures our attention until the final paragraph.
