U No author likes to reward its readers detailed descriptions, so that the pace of the story sometimes gets lost in the maze of words. An inspector fond of classical poetry in a world where the excitement is married to capitalist shackles of a more civilized than police. And the food that accompanies the story throughout the pages. Those are the three strong elements that I have left my reading of the novel by Qiu Xialong The very corruptible Mandarin (Editions Points, Points collection Thriller, 2007, 346 pages, ISBN 978-2757804698).
In this "new" China, which has kept the name of the Communist party in power, business is booming for the dignitaries. Further north, they were called "apparatchiki" here in Shanghai, it is the "mandarins". And they have little to envy all powerful all ages of the world: they brew fortunes, live in luxurious houses with parks pregnant attend VIP club for miles in search of fun, play favors and threats, and feel untouchable.
Those not yet acquainted with this author or his hero quickly realize that if China Qiu Xialong door in his heart (even in his exile in the United States), it is not in his heart that Chinese society has become. His novels sometimes turn to the indictment a little heavy, not always alleviated by frequent allusions to poetry and cuisine.
But that Qiu Xialong readers already know, since the first novel in the series involving Scene Inspector Chen Death of a red heroine (Editions Seuil, collection Points Crime, 2003, ISBN 978-2020488877). And if the first novels in the series focused mainly on the Chinese working classes, it leads us to look under the discreet veil that covers the dark side of high places.
In addition, this novel in this, China is a little less present than in other series, as Inspector Chen is asked to travel to the United States to pursue the corrupt giving Mandarin the book its title. This offers the reader an interesting perspective on the U.S. as seen by a Chinese whose the dream is not to settle.
I am not a ardent fan of Qiu Xialong, I consider myself more as a casual reader, borrowing some of his novels at the local library not subject myself to read them all and even less buy them all. I suspect that not reading all the novels in the series, I pass elements that build, deepen the bonds between the recurring characters. But I do not feel passionate point of immersing myself completely in this series, as I am, however, a big fan of the novels of Martin Cruz Smith featuring Arkady Renko.
Besides, from reading this novel, I told myself repeatedly that I found there echoes of the adventures of Arkady Renko, and more particularly Gorky Park, whose novel I mentioned in this blog : corruption at the highest level, scheming businessmen who do not know borders, and an inquiry by an inspector whose "big bad" hope that Honesty really is the idealistic naivety which will lead to failure.
I therefore find it difficult to you Very clear whether this corruptible Mandarin is the top or bottom of the basket Xialong Qiu's novels. I can tell you that this is a novel poetic-gastronomico-political-police officer who has some good hours of reading, failing to provide a suspense or intrigue that keeps you close the book before you finish .
* * * * *
For the curious
Readers who enjoy discovering the inspiration of the authors of thrillers when they dug into the reality of our world will not fail find that Xing Xing is a cousin of the novel not too distant from Lai Changxing. The Chinese businessman in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, had fled to Canada from China in the late 1990s, after having been caught red handed in a web of corruption and smuggling in which were involved senior Chinese officials. Was it an enemy of China "or become bothersome accomplice?
even more curious readers will get a more accurate idea of the case below devouring the book of the journalist who was responsible for seven of the Beijing office of the London Times , Oliver August, Inside the Red Mansion: On the Trail of China's Most Wanted Man (published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007, ISBN 978-0618714988).
* * * * *
0 comments:
Post a Comment