Martin
Winter
M.A.
Vienna University
Translator
of "K" into German
Tolerance
in Hong Ying's 1999 (2011)- trilogy and in "K". Author's tolerance;
State's tolerance.
(In)tolerance
has many facets in "K" and "Nüzi You Xing"('Far Goes The
Girl').
Hong
Ying's trilogy from the early nineties about the future set in Shanghai, New
York and Prague might compare to Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses, especially
the middle part. The dominance of religion in politics (or politics in
religion) is highlighted and ridiculed. There is much racism and related
violence; the police are mixed up in brutal murders.
Hong
Ying's tale about New York was at first not published in China. The other parts
appeared in the magazine "Hua Cheng" before the whole novel came out
in Taiwan. Sexuality is crucial throughout. Shanghai has a woman's gang
castrating men. Prague pits a new boxer movement against Chinese business. A
secret weapon kills terrorists and hostages.
In
New York, Tibetan Buddhists have converted the World Trade Center. (The novel
is about to be re-issued.) Two sects fight for control of lower Manhattan. The
narrator gets pregnant with a Living Buddha.
The
story was printed in another magazine. I am looking for echoes. The trilogy
seems to be selling fine in Taiwan, it has been readily available the last few
years. The mainland needs more re-issues.
An
article about the trilogy's first novel in CND January 03, 2003 acknowledges
that Chinese women are treated badly, but some people are waking up. Is it
possible to describe the actual situation? How radical is Hong Ying's work, how
tolerant (towards whom)?
"K"
has been banned, Hong Ying has appealed in court. Racism plays a major role in
the novel, along with sexual taboos and the brutality of the Communists.
Julian's tolerance for opium is tested, as is the narrator's tolerance for
alcohol and other drugs in the trilogy. But what is the issue in detail? What
is Hong Ying's challenge, what are the reactions?