The Fat Years

Author(s): Chan Koonchung

Location(s): Beijing (Peking)

Genre(s): Fiction

Era(s): 2013

Location

Content

In Chan Koonchung’s dystopian novel “The Fat Years,” which takes place in 2013, a month of history has been wiped out from China’s memory. During that month in 2011, the world went through a tremendous economic, political and social upheaval, far greater than the global financial crisis three years earlier. To maintain stability, China’s government ordered a massive crackdown.

Now, China has emerged as the world’s dominant power, and its citizens enjoy prosperous lives. But in exchange for a wealthy and stable country, the public has accepted a totalitarian regime without question. The story focuses on a handful of friends in Beijing as they try to uncover the events of those 28 days and why China’s people have embraced a collective amnesia.

Mr. Chan’s novel is a minefield of sensitive subjects in China, touching on the government’s relationship with the U.S., economy and trade, religion, martial law, the Tiananmen Square massacre, the restive regions of Tibet and Xinjiang, and more.

Wall Street Journal

Review this Book