My second Can Xue and she's turning out one of my favourite living writers. The thing you notice most after reading is you're unsure what's actually happened. The stories simply seem to explore states of mind. And there are very interesting minds at work here. In fact you could probably say that she explores neurodiversity in it's broadest sense (not just confined to autism spectrum). In terms of narrative she just drops you into the story and you've no idea where it will lead. She's experimental, yes, but I find her eminently readable. I think readers who cling to 'realism' and the logical may have problems but if you just enter into her subjective narrative and expect the unexpected you will be rewarded. Personally I find she rarely writes a boring line, there are no longeurs and she keeps the intensity up throughout. The stories are stated simply which belies their complexity. They have something in common with Sufi tales: their multi-layeredness, allegorical nature and fantastic element but they differ in having no Eureka moment of enlightenment. It's up to the reader to draw conclusions and there's a mystery to them and an absurd element. There's a Zen quality to them in their non-logical development but no conclusions, not even one beyond words. Rather, they're open-ended and perspectival. I couldn't really pick favourites, the quality is consistent throughout. I haven't read enough Kafka or Borges with whom she's compared, but based on my reading experience I'd say she's one of the most exciting and unique writers around. ( )