UFO In Her Eyes by Xiaolu Guo

This novel is so good it's difficult to write a quick review of it. One of it's best features is it's readability. The story is narrated entirely by excerpts of Chinese government files. These are short and always relevant to the story, and that keeps you entertained and reading quickly.

The Scotland on Sunday describes this book as ' a damning portrait of totalitarian China.' While the book definitely comments on modern day China, (or future day, as this novel is set slightly ahead of time, beginning in 2012), the main theme is how an undeveloped Chinese village has development thrust on it after a peasant woman sees a UFO, saves an American tourist from a snakebite, and unwittingly brings money and modernity to the village.

The way the Chinese authorities get involved in trying to develop the village of Silver Hill, without concern for individuals or businesses, actually reminded me of how the British government re- housed by Grandma to develop her estate. It was a bit more extreme in UFO In Her Eyes, but the principles are the same, individuals are like ants in the face of larger forces.

I haven't been to China. But I have been to a host of other Asian countries. Being a white Englishman,  I've often been asked if I'm an American, and often been treated with undue preference just because I am a westerner. It frequently seems as though people really respect America. Why would they respect America? I don't think that American culture is superior to any other culture. The only reason is economic success and the effect of the media. If Afghanistan was the most powerful, rich country in the world and the centre of film and entertainment industries, turbans would probably be fashionable from Melbourne to Manhattan.

These themes come up in Guo's book. The development of the village is aimed to 'bring it up to speed' with China's cities and the western world. But why do they need to do that. Personal development is no good if you try and be like other people. You have to see what's good about yourself. The same is true for countries. They can take ideas from one another, but they shouldn't follow and imitate.



N.B. I have no idea if China imitates America as I haven't been there. Korea and Koreans certainly did to some extent, and Taiwan does in many small ways, New York style taxis, English language schools being called American schools, the most fashionable area of Taipei having a mini Statue of Liberty, a Starbucks, and a 'New York, New York,' department store or whatever it is.