China Underground by Zachary Mexico
There is something extremely exhilarating and exciting when opening a book that you know nothing about. It seems like all too often, before I even open a book, I already know so much about it. Either I’m familiar with the author, the story (through reviews or friends) or some sort of hype surrounding the book.
I like to think I stray from the mainstream every now and then (for example The Island of Lost Maps or Eat, Pray, Love ha!). Unfortunately for everyone, I am absolutely positive that the best written books in the world have only been read by a fortunate few.
Now, I’m not going to tell you that China Underground is one those books. Yet, it is not on any bestseller lists (that I know of) or been featured on a talk show, but I’m pretty certain it has been reviewed by the major papers. For the most part though it has flown under the radar.
It’s a simple enough book and idea, but it is very entertaining. Broken up into short chapters the book is a breeze to get through. Makes it perfect for the bathroom, commutes on the bus or short plane trips. I’ve read a fair amount on China recently ranging across all genres. This book though, probably gave me the best look into the lives of the people who live there. Maybe it’s because I could somehow relate to some of these characters or felt as though if I were living in China I would be one of these characters that drew me into this book. Maybe it was just the simplistic writing and ample descriptions of these people’s lives or maybe the political, economic and cultural juxtapositions that ensnared me. Either way, it’s worth reading.
Mexico breaks the book down into chapters that focus on one person (bear in mind these are real people) or a specific place at a time and provides background information on how it is they became who they are or what makes that place unique.
To help draw you into the book, I’ve decided to give you the chapter index here (I’ve changed most of Mexico’s chapter’s titles) and give you little insights into a few of the chapters.
Ch. 1 – The Peasant Photographer
Ch. 2 – The Gangster
Ch. 3 – The Prostitute (according to the book, 1/10 women in China earn their living as a prostitute, which is about 70 million women)
Ch. 4 – The Female Scholar
Ch. 5 – The Hipster/Slacker (Hunzi) – Pretty sure if this sort were to live in San Francisco they would fit right in in the Mission. Oh yeah, this particular character listens to “Pinback.”
Ch. 6 – The Uighur Rock Superstar
Ch. 7 – The Chinese Homosexual
Ch. 8 – The Polluted City – Linfen – Not your ideal vacation spot
Ch. 9 – Dali – The Nimbin of China
Ch. 10 – The Screenwriter
Ch. 11 – The Aspiring Film Maker
Ch. 12 – The Killing Game and the people who play
Ch. 13 – The Nigerian Hustler
Ch. 14 – Punk Rock, Wuhan Style
Ch. 15 – The Journalist (former)
Ch. 16 – The Beijing Nightclub scene – Reminiscent of those high school night spent in Tijuana. Beijing club names such as “Orange,” “Banana,” “Tango” and “Babyface.”
The book is a worthwhile read and for someone interested in China, it could be a decent guide to the varying lifestyles there.
#1 by Big bro on September 16th, 2009
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High School nights in TJ? NO WAY! I’m totally telling on you. What’s the “Killing Game”?
#2 by alicelane on March 15th, 2010
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This book is seriously awesome. I wasn’t particularly interested in China when I picked up this book but after reading through the introduction alone, I decided to just buy it. As the above review stated, it’s a breeze to read through. The writing style is very casual–anyone can easily relate to some of the personalities being described. For lack of a better word, China Underground was a refreshing read on China’s underbelly. It’s not only informative, it’s also way cool.