Comments on: Finished the Vagrants http://wuyibing.com/862/finished-the-vagrants.html Reviews, Notes, Journals and Comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:22:02 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Forager http://wuyibing.com/862/finished-the-vagrants.html/comment-page-1#comment-16803 Forager Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:31:09 +0000 http://wuyibing.com/?p=862#comment-16803 ZX has a pretty insightful take on Li, "Her work is very 'Chinese' in the sense that it is heavy on emotions, feelings but rather light on a deeper level, existential struggle." A very enlightening comment for sure. I also felt like this book reads like the stories in Red Chamber Dreams (HLM), many linear developments full of snippets of vivid details, like dancers in Bali sometimes us their facial expression ALONE to tell stories. But there is lack of struggle. Not enough "to be or not to be" kind of question, as if man has only the environ to contend with, but never himself. As ZX said, "there is no moral finality in people's lives". I certainly agree with that. Rob Gifford said in his memoir that he left China after some 18 years because as a son of missionary, he can't take the "everything goes" mentality any more. ZX has a pretty insightful take on Li, “Her work is very ‘Chinese’ in the sense that it is heavy on emotions, feelings but rather light on a deeper level, existential struggle.”

A very enlightening comment for sure. I also felt like this book reads like the stories in Red Chamber Dreams (HLM), many linear developments full of snippets of vivid details, like dancers in Bali sometimes us their facial expression ALONE to tell stories.

But there is lack of struggle. Not enough “to be or not to be” kind of question, as if man has only the environ to contend with, but never himself. As ZX said, “there is no moral finality in people’s lives”.

I certainly agree with that. Rob Gifford said in his memoir that he left China after some 18 years because as a son of missionary, he can’t take the “everything goes” mentality any more.

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