Review of Mystery Train by Can Xue

Can Xue is one of the recurring nominees for the Nobel Prize.

I can see why. Her body of work is varied and unique, relevant, and large. This short novel takes place mostly on a train. One of my favorite literary settings. The main character undergoes a kafkaesque series of mishaps, ending up in a very different place by the end. The vivid prose and bizarre characters will keep you turning pages. It is a quick read, full of subtext. The uncontrollable fate of our hapless protagonist is never boring. His interplay with a woman prisoner, or employee, in one of the train cars develops into a twisted, touching love story.

This is a good entry point into Can Xue. One of her accessible works. She tends to overcomplicate matters, slathering on details by the dozen, skewing the perspective into inhuman realms of dreamlike pseudo-satire. But here, she remains clear, even when describing outlandish behavior and brutish cruelty. She excels at flourishes of imagery, and constructing a bulky conglomerate of blundering prose fantasias.