English by Wang Gang

English is the first novel by Wang Gang to be translated into English. The blurb on the cover tells of the pure friendship between a teenager and his English teacher, and his yearning for the teacher's dictionary, though it is a world more than that.

The central character, Love Liu (aging from 12 to 18), lives in Urumchi, an industrial town in Northern China, near the Russian border. Subtly, the actions of his family, teachers, and friends reflect that the Cultural Revolution has stunted their individuality. They are on the brink of starvation and looking over their shoulders in fear. Even his mother's light singing can be seen as a rebellious act. A student sees a counterrevolutionary slogan written on a wall: 'Down with Chairman Mao.' When this is reported to the principal, he asks what it says, and without thinking, the class assistant repeats it aloud—words which would put you in front of a firing squad.

Love Liu's life revolves around school and his friends, Garbage Li and Sunrise Huang. A new English teacher, Second Prize Wang, arrives in his class, and a favored teacher, Ahjitai, departs. Second Prize Wang brings an English dictionary, is a refined gentleman, and even wears cologne. He is from Shanghai.

With Love's parents, both architects, involved in their work, Second Prize becomes a friend and mentor through the questions of the teenage years. Sunrise and Love vie for his attention and the dictionary. Sunrise becomes enamored with Second Prize, and Love's affections go to his past teacher, Ahjitai.

The core of the novel may be the relationship between Second Prize Wang and Love Lui, but there is a whirlpool of adultery, struggle, politics, and love within his small community. We see the cultural revolution, the death of Mao, and the impact this has on everyone through Love Liu's eyes; the eyes of one deciding what is right, what is honour, and what is love.

Aside from Gao XingJian (the wonderful Soul Mountain) and my favourite Ha Jin (A Free Life and Waiting), Chinese novelists don't attract me like Japanese novelists do. I find their history, and the dark days of the cultural revolution hard to open. English is autobiographical and rooted in historical truth. More heartbreaking than the events in the novel is his afterward. In 2004, just calling it a novel about the cultural revolution was difficult; they called it a book about growing up. His two page epilogue is devastating, and I'm thankful to have read about his experiences through the softer eyes of one who doesn't quite know, who observes and tries to learn.

2009 / Hardcover / 320 pages