Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “The Crazed” by Ha Jin.
Sometimes, I read books that I just don’t get. Something about the prose or the author’s voice, maybe, makes me feel disconnected from the plot and the characters. This book was one of those instances.
When I initially picked up this book, I was really excited by the synopsis presented on the back. There aren’t many authors who dare venture into political commentary of Chinese society during the 1980s, and it’s even rarer to find stories covering that period of time in narrative rather than nonfiction form. Especially in the current geopolitical climate, it suffices to say that I was looking forward to the commentary and insights that Jin was going to bring to light with this story.
However, something about this book just didn’t hit. It’s told from the perspective of Jian, a graduate student in China who is a temporary caretaker for his advisor, Professor Yang, who has just suffered from a stroke. The professor struggles to differentiate between hallucinations and reality, often spouting songs, engaging in shouting matches with invisible opponents and lamenting about a broken heart. The story is largely about Jian’s internal struggle as he stands at a crossroads between pursuing academia, where he will submerge himself in poetry and ignore the political implications of his choices, or serving as a party officer, where he believes he can maybe help alleviate some of the suffering of the people.
Although the narrative of the book is very powerful and can be relatable to all individuals who face choices about their future, I couldn’t help but note how disconnected and bland some of the plot points were. Random characters would be occasionally thrown in as subplots to increase the suspense, haphazard suggestions of romantic interest would be added to pique audience interest and an arbitrary cliffhanger about getting a haircut just left me really confused.
Take that last point, about the haircut. We’ve finally reached the climax of the story! Jian has just personally witnessed the brutality of what would be known as the Tiananmen Square massacre and knows that he will soon be arrested for acting as a counterrevolutionary if he stays in his apartment. So he rides his bike to a nearby smaller town … buys a bag of crappy apricots to chew on … spies a barbershop … and decides to get a crew cut … end of story.
There were so many instances of this style of writing that just didn’t connect with me. Many chapters would end with something seemingly significant that the audience was meant to mull over, but instead, this style of concluding chapters would only leave me more confused.
I really don’t like giving books bad reviews. When I don’t like a book, I assume that the book was simply meant for a different audience. So, with that logic, I’ll just say that this book is meant for someone other than myself.
