Soul Mountain

I started Gao Xingjian's Soul Mountain about a week into my vacation, and it feels like it took forever to finish.

This is one of those books that you find yourself reading a page or two at a time, sometimes re-reading the same paragraph three or four times, sometimes flipping back to earlier chapters.

It certainly wasn't what I expected. No long rumination on man's condition or the nature of belief and hope in the course of a pilgrimage. Which is good, as either of those would have gotten old real quick.

The novel is purely character-driven. The chapters are episodic, some telling anecdotes, some providing historical insight, some simply representing scenes or moods. These tend to be either entertaining or insightful, though there are a few that feel purposeless.

Towards the end of the book, the author addresses potential critics, defending his work and justifying his approach. This may sound arrogant, but it actually works in this case, it let's you know the author hasn't lost it, and that the book itself has no direction or resolution, and that allows you to leisurely enjoy the remainder of the book.

Overall, a very memorable book, and one that certainly gives you pause for reflection. Probably not one that you're going to lend out or read again though.