Mudanjiang (Kan)

There is traditional history and living history. Yujing Kan brings traditional history to life. In this novel "Mudanjiang, so far and so near", historical periods are brought back to life, so to speak, through the personal life of a literary figure. In this unique, literary, grippingly written and unusually short work, we encounter the reality of life in Maoist China in the 1960s and the affluent Western society of the 1990s.

Translated from the Chinese by Jia Bo

The writer recounts her nostalgic memories of the girl Xiao Ma from her home in northeast China. The Northeast raised her, gave her a strong and generous character. Her 30 years of living abroad allowed her to distance herself from the original culture that raised her. Fluctuating back and forth between men and women, she has never lost her deep longing for life. As a result, she always seems like a playful child wallowing in the dirt. She dies an unnatural death because her prophecy to the contrary was a mistake, as with everything else in her life that was of the utmost importance to her. She loves very clear, unadulterated theories. For this reason, she always inflicts a setback on herself whenever she makes progress. Her only wish is not to die in May when the flowers are in bloom: she loves these radiant moments of blossoming splendor.

Reading sample:
Kan, German Literary Society

Mudanjiang - so far and so near, Yujing Kan, hardcover, 198 pages, 24€

Yujing Kan