Beijing Coma Book

Ma Jian's epic masterpiece about the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests will be present in your mind long after you put the book down-- if you can do so. Dai Wei, a PhD student at Beijing University was struck by a bullet during the massacre that followed the student protests. As he lies in bed immobile for years, he lives in his memories of the past. He also silently observes everything around his big iron bed, trapped within his body. His mother, apartment, friends, and body break down around him while his mind remains unable to move or change. This is a metaphor for the natural incessant beauty of China that Dai Wei loves, which is unchanging amidst the country's political turmoil.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in Chinese culture. Ma Jian's exquisite style takes you to the rain forests of Yunnan, the sweaty southern provinces, busy Beijing, and explains the beauty of Hong Kongese women. You become embroiled in his circle of friends, and although there are MANY characters you feel as though they are your friends as well. There are a few too many characters for my liking. I believe that Jian tries to explain how vast the protests are, but by the end, you are a bit confused about all the minor characters.

All in all, I am a little too young to remember these protests first hand, and I am so glad that I learned about this era through this book. The writing is beautiful and moving, while still being historically accurate. China in my mind will forever be shaped by Ma Jian, and of course, Dai Wei.