07 Apr / The Cemetery of Chua Village and Other Stories by Doan Le, translated by Rosemary Nguyen with additional translations by Duong Tuong and Wayne Karlin [in AsianWeek]
A collection of 10 inventive stories that capture a glimpse of contemporary life in a Vietnamese village where the writer, actress, director, and painter Doan Le lived for 30 years with her ex-husband. The eponymous opening story is a scathing societal satire, played out by the ghosts of the cemetery residents as they navigate their post-burial lives. Other stories include the Kafka-esque metamorphosis of a frustrated man transformed into a fly, a woman who survives 23 lovers, and a couple on the verge of breaking up as the wife decides she will be the first to leave.
Review: “New and Notable Books, AsianWeek, April 7, 2005
Readers: Adult
Published: 2005