Dialogues in Paradise

confusing. hella confusing. I read the whole thing in one sitting (because I had to, it was homework) and felt like I'd just wasted a few hours of my life. The characters/plot/everything is so convoluted, fast-paced, and random that by the time you turn the page, you'll have forgotten what craziness happened the page before.That said, I feel like it would definitely be rewarding if you had the time to sit down and slowly analyze every detail. Every sentence is a many-layered metaphor for something.If you're in for a light read, or something you'll get really wrapped up in and think, "What??? My favorite character just got murdered by so and so?!?"No.

These stories here are some of Can Xue's earliest published works, and as you can imagine, they're a little rougher around the edges than her later stories, perhaps a bit more unstructured, but still good. There are some highlights, however: Hut on a Mountain is one of her most well-known short stories (though I hesitate to call any of Can Xue's works "well-known"), and Dialogues in Paradise is an incredibly beautiful piece of fiction. Fans of Kafka and Beckett will feel right at home here.

This series of short stories is a total departure from the norm of realistic writing by Chinese authors. The entire set of stories can be viewed as dreams, many of which have elements from prior stories.She seems fascinated by birds and insects, as they are common elements. Though 'dark' in nature, the dreams are more surreal than nightmare. Each has that disconnect from the rational that is common to those stories we tell ourselves while we sleep.Not as enjoyable as her "Five Spice Street"; this will appeal to those wanting to read her earlier writing or those looking for work from China that doesn't fit the mold.