Ma Bole follows the eponymous cowardly lay about as he escapes his unhappy family life by going on the run to avoid the coming Japanese invasion. A humorous-yet-stark depiction of despair in the face of war and Westernization, Xiao's novel (completed by the translator) mirrors the identity struggles of early-twentieth century China in the form of an unforgettable comic anti-hero.
"Before her death in 1940 at age 30, Xiao Hong created a legacy of eleven books--novels, stories, reminiscences--that easily qualify her as one of the major Chinese literary figures of the century. Like Isaac Babel, Xiao Hong makes no comment, and she doesn't flinch at such unimaginable cruelty and violence; she makes it seem what it is to the villagers--part of everyday life. The effect is powerf
Kirkus Reviews
"The book is powerful in its confinement, vivid in its simplicity. The prose, at once imagistic, spare and haunting, recalls at moments the melancholy timbre of Jean Rhys."
Los Angeles Times
"The dialogue is absolutely convincing and the author's ability to present daily adventure profound. In its specificity, Market Street offers an ultimately universal lesson about freedom and oppression."
