Amazon Crossing, September 1, 2015.
Three Stars
In 1990s China, Lu Xiaolu is growing up in a town full of factories, where his only dream in life is to work at one of them. With few expectations comes little disappointment, and that’s what makes this depressing coming-of-age story so unique. Lu Xiaolu talks about having no future and no real opportunities, yet somehow he is fairly lighthearted about it – and as he works his way towards his goals, hope opens up in a dreary world.
Although Young Babylon is one man’s story of growing up – and it does seem like it might be at least partly Lu Nei’s story – it is also representative of events in China as a whole, and the issues of the nation in the 1990s. In a world where everyone in town wears the same coverall uniform, with only an “S” for saccharin or a “P” for pesticides to differentiate them, Lu Xiaolu still manages to retain his individuality. He also creates an entertaining cast of characters around him by giving his coworkers nicknames such as “Old Badass” and “Little Pouty Lips”. His interactions with others bring personality to factory life.
The “Babylon” of the title generally denotes luxury and corruption – and while there is little of the former in the factory town, there is much of the latter. Lu Xiaolu’s father bribes his bosses to get his son a job at one of the better factories, and Lu Xiaolu inches his way up the factory ladder with no real qualifications. He meets one man in particular who has dozens of certificates to his name, from accounting to engineering, yet he makes less money than Lu Xiaolu – it is a fairly damning comment on the Chinese bureaucratic system.
Lu Xiaolu often speaks in a derogatory manner about his parents and coworkers, but they seem to want what’s best for him for the most part – although they are preparing him for disappointment. And even though his descriptions are satirical in nature, they do put a human face on the Chinese factory workers, changing a foreign culture into something we can relate to. An enjoyable story from an intriguing voice in world literature.
I received this book for free from Amazon Crossing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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