Book Nook: The Republic of Wine

The Republic of Wine; By Mo Yan, Translated from the Chinese by Howard Goldblatt; Arcade Publishing, Inc., 2000 (English-language translation); 356 pp; US$26.95

JAKARTA (JP): Strange rumors are coming out of Liquorland: little boys are being braised, roasted, filleted, sauteed and otherwise cooked and eaten by local gourmands.

The authorities send special investigator Ding Gou'er to look into the rumors. During his investigation, Ding runs into an array of fantastic characters who people this liquor-saturated land. As he stumbles through his inquiry, readers are taken on a fantastical, humorous and disturbing journey.

The novel also has a novel structure, for included in the narrative are letters from Li Yidou, a Ph.D. candidate in Liquor Studies at Liqourland's Brewer's College, to the author, Mo Yan. Along with the letters, Li sends Mo Yan stories he has written, stories which strangely parallel Ding's investigation. It's a very unusual and inventive technique that serves to increase the overall fantastical nature of the book by the author of Red Sorghum.

Mo Yan has cooked up quite a tasty little treat of a book, biting in its satire, shocking in its detail and humorous in its delivery.

The Republic of Wine is almost as intoxicating as a bottle of home-brewed liquor, with the advantage of not having any of the nasty aftereffects. (David Eyerly)