The Boat Rocker

August 29, 2016
In his latest novel, Ha Jin (Waiting) takes aim at exploitative novels and international relations as he tells the story of Feng Danlin, a Chinese expatriate journalist living in New York and working for an independent, and influential, Chinese news agency. The year is 2005, and when word comes in that Danlin’s ex-wife, Yan Haili, has written a novel touted by the Chinese government as an instant worldwide bestseller, he pens several exposés concerning the book, challenging everything from the novel’s lackluster style and use of a 9/11 backdrop to Haili’s claims that she has signed a million-dollar-plus deal to adapt her tale into a Hollywood film. It isn’t long before Danlin’s articles gain traction and are reprinted throughout China. He finds himself celebrated by readers, but also the target of a series of verbal and written attacks by Haili and her entourage, and his boat rocking leaves many wondering if, by exposing Haili as a liar and the Chinese government as nefarious, Danlin may also be damaging potential Chinese/American interactions. Ha Jin stretches Danlin’s initial missives, though amusing, nearly to the point of repetitive exhaustion, yet as the novel shifts focus from small squabbles to a more worldly narrative dissecting homeland loyalty and international relationships, it gains momentum. Ha Jin’s prose is always pleasurable to read.

Ex-pat journalist Danlin attempts to expose the Chinese government's scheme to make a worldwide bestseller out of a mediocre novel written by his ex-wife, Haili. Narrator Edoardo Ballerini colors his performance with a well-crafted balance of earnestness, indignation, and na�vet�, highlighting Danlin's emotional state as he investigates the intersection of art and politics and contends with his unresolved feelings for Haili. Ballerini's pronunciations of the many Chinese names and places are believable; however, his choice to forgo any kind of accent, even for characters speaking pidgin English, disconnects listeners from the cultural milieu of the audiobook. Ballerini's delivery takes on an appropriate hint of bitterness as Danlin begins to realize that not even his new U.S. citizenship can protect him from China's manipulative power. C.B.L. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine