By Hannah Lee

Xujun Eberlein’s work Apologies Forthcoming is an innovative and highly unique piece of literature that sheds light on an extremely pivotal time period in China. Her fresh work delves into the controversial aftermath of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and engages the reader into one of the most original and thought-provoking books of the year.

Apologies Forthcoming creates a compelling viewpoint of Chinese society. The use of viable characters illustrates the realities of Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Oppression, along with overbearing governmental tendencies shape each character’s story to reveal the true meaning of individualism. Her character Shiao Su is one of many that is forced to conform in a dangerous society. Xujun’s work depicts the tragedy of lost freedoms within a country too eager to progress.

Xujun herself has found a successful way to draw directly from her own experiences. Much of Apologies Forthcoming can be taken from Xujun’s life in China after the Cultural Revolution, which only helps to illuminate the actuality of the situation. Her work sets a strong precedent for future writers in this area.

Another strong aspect of Xujun’s work is her ability to bring the controversy of China to light, without create bias. It is an innovative take of the time period and Xujun has managed to create wholesome characters rather than good guys and bad guys.

I picked up this book for informational purposes, not expecting such a strong, fresh viewpoint on a time period I have meticulously investigated, and after reading it I highly recommend it. This novel is ideal for anyone interested in this radical era in China, for not only does Xujun’s work, Apologies Forthcoming reveal factual information, it illustrates extreme realities.

Apologies Forthcoming is available for purchase through Amazon.com and other booksellers. For more information check out BlogStop Booktours and Xujun’s blog.

Tags: Apologies Forthcoming, Chinese Cultural Revolution, fiction, Xujun

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 at 10:25 pm and is filed under Book Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.