Red Dust

On very rare occasions, a book can be so fresh, vivid and sincere that its integrity will be apparent almost before you have begun reading it. This brilliant account of a three-year exploration of China during the first wave of economic liberalisation following the death of Mao Zedong is one such book.

In Red Dust, Ma Jian tells the story of how, on his 30th birthday, facing arrest for spiritual pollution in his journalistic job in Beijing, he fakes an attack of hepatitis and flees into the Chinese hinterland. Uprooting himself from a bohemian lifestyle and his estranged wife and child, Jian walks vast distances and immerses himself in the remotest parts of China. Travelling clandestinely, and with little or no money, Jian survives by doing odd jobs and publishing poetry and short stories through his network of literary friends. At the same time, he has amazing adventures: on one occasion he finds himself lost in the desert with no water for three days; later on he has to scale a huge cliff with no equipment.

There is nothing emasculated or sanitised about this genuine adventure. Jian is forced to live from his wits. At one time he has to mug his own muggers back to rescue his camera; then he scrapes a living by selling scouring powder as toothpaste. These escapades, beautifully translated from the Chinese by Flora Drew, are told in an understated and elegant style, and, with Jian's status as both an insider and outsider, provide a complete portrait of what life is like for ordinary Chinese people in a way that no foreign writer could ever emulate. By turns poetic, wise and brave, Red Dust is worthy of a place alongside other great books of Chinese literature, such as The Mountain Village and Wild Swans, as both a classic work of travel writing and a compelling meditation on the spiritual bankruptcy of an age when all humanity's Gods have been shattered. --Toby Green

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Insightful, funny, eye-opening. - Rated
Ma Jian's travels around China, coupled with a fascinating insight into the life of the author create an amazing combination.For me Ma Jian's character as a Chinese, intellectual, long-haired rebel is what makes this book so great. Whilst reading the book Ma Jian comes into many different situations that provide someone who has never been to China a strong insight into the diversity of life and customs throughout the 'giant chicken' (China). Ma Jian ends up in totally unique situations whilst trying to travel around a country which still has a strong dominating totalitarian governement. Whilst at the same time, it is the craziness of Ma Jian's character that puts him in other bizzare situations. It is just fascinating to see what he will do next. Whether it be a serious situation which Ma Jian reflects on in a deep and insightful way, or whether he finds himself in an amusing circumstance- the author covers it all. I loved reading this book- it completely captured my imagination and made me wish I could travel around China on foot!

China through the eyes of a Chinese - Rated
Red Dust is a fascinating insight not just because it reviews a country so enigmatic and distant to so many of us, but because it does so through the eyes of a Chinese traveller. Ma Jian gives us an insight into how a fellow Chinese is perceived through the eyes of Indigenous Chinese Tribes, local peasents and the intellectual circles he mixes with.
Not quite 'Wild Swans' but brilliant and intriging none the less which left me with a desire to read a lot more about 'The Motherland'

Valuable glimpse into 1980s China - Rated
I enjoyed this book because it offered a rare glimpse into 1980s China newly caught in the transition from a closed country to that of a fledgling economic giant cautiously opening its bamboo curtains to allow foreign culture and capitalist culture to seep in. It is written in quite a similar vein to that of Paul Theroux's "Riding the Iron Rooster" but Ma Jian offered a much more personal and insightful experience from his view as a local. Only drawback is the occasional revulsion at Ma Jian's distaste for bathing and his unhygenic habits.

A Brave and Heroic Journey - Rated
I loved this book. I shared the journey, the comic moments, the despair. Reading the story makes me wish I could just jack in the job, say bye to my friends and family and just wander the country. Like a good movie, I wish it could have been longer. There are passages where he skips hundreds of miles to the next town without describing the journey or any events. Still, the succinctness means there is never a dull page. I also wish I could see the photos he took before they were destroyed. Thanks Ma Jian, I hope you have found your journey's end.

An honest look at China, without the rhetoric. - Rated
I hugely enjoyed this very honest perspective of China, without the usual political rhetoric, or the "I lived through it all, and I'm still alive - amn't I wonderful". This is the China of work units, documentation, guanxi, open plains, minimal accomodation, lethargy, enterprise ... a land of contrasts with a culture of social control that has existed for thousands of years longer than the Communist Party.

I recommend this book in particular, for those (like myself) who have travelled to China, but feel they will never experience what it is like to be Chinese. Brillianty written, honest, interesting, and thought provoking, and at times an inspiring account of a man just trying to be a man.