The Feathered Serpent by Xu Xiaobin

The Feathered Serpent was originally published in China about 10 years ago and last week it was published in English for the first time. I was fortunate to get ahold of an advanced copy of the novel through work (just one of the benefits of working for a bookstore).

The Feathered Serpent tells the story Yushe and the women of her family. Most the novel is third person, though there are some events told through the eyes of various female characters throughout the novel. It is a fascinating portrait of life in China through several generations, including vague references to several memorable moments in Chinese history. It offers an interesting look a completely different culture and lifestyle.

This novel is very much the Chinese version of 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I thought about that novel a lot as I was reading this one, and now may have to re-read it (even though I didn't really like it the first time). While there may not be as much of the magic-realism, is still has the same epic feel.

I realy enjoyed this book, though it was one of those that feels like its getting a lot slower by the end. If you can stick to it, the book as a whole is an interesting portrait of culture, family, love and acceptance.