China, Novel: Change by Mo Yan

I think I chose the right author, but I am not sure I chose the right book. Mo Yan is the pen name of, Guan Moye, one of China's most prolific and celebrated modern authors. The pen name is intended to be ironic.  It means ‘don't speak’ and he says it is a personal reminder that sometimes he says too much. The winner of numerous prizes and an author who sometimes runs afoul of the regime, he seemed like the perfect choice. But which book? He has written dozens.

I chose ‘Change’. Change is the Chinese contribution to a series of novels around the theme: ‘What was Communism?’ There is a Russian entry, a Cuban entry and of course this Chinese entry, among others. It sounded perfect, especially as Mo Yan has experienced nearly the entirety of the communist era in China. 

Change is the (semi autobiographical?) reminiscences of a country boy soldier with aspirations of becoming something bigger in life.

As such it tells his story and paints a picture of the dramatic changes he and China experience over the last 50 years. In that respect it was illuminating and useful. You get a picture of the nature of rural life - a life which seems quite remote from most of what I saw on my visit. We were mostly in the cities and even when we ventured out (to Yangshuo) I think we were only on the fringe of rural life. And even then, of rural life in 2011. That is a long way from what Mo Yan describes - the countryside of his youth.

Yangshuo country market

My disappointment with the book stems from my expectations: ‘What was Communism?’ Change is a series of snapshots of the China(s) Mo Yan experiences in his life thus far.  Change is an appropriate description for them, but they have little to do with communism.  When it comes to politics, in this piece it seems Mo Yan has followed his own advice (don't speak).  If Communism is a player in his drama, it is one that stays forever in the background and does not speak. I was hoping for something a little more overt.