This is a great book if you want to learn a bit more about communist China in the form of novel, as opposed to a dry history book. The characters are interesting and the plot engrossing, especially for someone who can appreciate the contributions of past literature to our lives today. The ending left me a bit confused and there are some parts that don't seem to fit, but the overall themes in the book are thought provoking and Dai Sijie's writing takes you away to a very different world!