He has received the national book award, two penfaulkner awards, the pen. Chinese immigrants living in flushing new york new york citys new chinatown are caricatured in these short stories. Ha jin earned his masters degree at shandong university in china, and in 1986 came to the united states to begin his doctoral work at brandeis. Read an excerpt of the first story from a good fall by ha jin. All of ha jin s characters struggle in situations that stir their conflicting desires to remain attached to their native land and traditions while also exploring their newfound social and economic freedoms. See all books authored by ha jin, including waiting, and war trash, and more on. In 2009, ha jin published a good fall a collection of 12 short stories that center around a different aspect of the chinese culture the chinese immigrant experience in the united states. He grew up during the cultural revolution, served in the army, and earned both his ba and ma at chinese institutions before arriving in the us on a student visa to pursue a phd in english at brandeis university.
At first it was exciting to chat with her every night. Even the children of immigrants, or those who immigrated long ago, still feel the chains tying them to the homeland, whether they parted with it peacefully or feel they escaped a cruel, unfair nation. A good fall by ha jin ha jin, in the book a good fall, explores the nature of unease and displacement that chinese immigrants face as they arrive in the united states in search of better lives and escape from the monotonous chinese traditions. Nov 24, 2009 all of ha jin s characters struggle to remain loyal to their homeland and its traditions while also exploring the freedom that life in a new country offers. In his first book of stories since the bridegroom was published in 200. This book depicts a dozen stories and interviews of real life experiences of different. Stories still allow him to get to the heart of the matter in a. He is the author of five novels, three story collections, and three books of poetry. In his first book of stories since the bridegroom, national book awardwinning author ha jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of chinese. Jan 09, 2010 the short stories in a good fall are similarly airy in their structure, and on first reading, many of them feel insubstantial. Ha jin was born xuefei jin in liaoning province, china. From national book awardwinner jin waiting comes a new collection that focuses on flushing, one of new york citys largest chinese immigrant commun. A good fall a dozen engrossing, visceral tales about the difficulties faced by chinese immigrants in america. A good fall by ha jin share book recommendations with.
Ha jin, author of waiting, returns to short stories with a good fall, which is set among chinese immigrants in flushing, queens. It may not be as eyeblistering as the perspective he offers in his novels about china, but theres something arresting about the view. Ha jin depicts here the full spectrum of immigrant life and the daily struggles some minute, some grand faced by these men, women, and children. For all their meticulous attention to the immigrant experience, ha jins books leave little to the imagination. Ha jin is equally good as a novelist and a short story writer. Ha jin, who emigrated from china in the aftermath of tiananmen square, had only been writing in english for 12 years when he won the national book award for waiting in 1999. Author ha jin spins tales of immigrant experience the. A good fall short stories by hajin speaking out loud. He formerly taught at emory university in atlanta, georgia. Ha jin has 37 books on goodreads with 79991 ratings. First collection of short fiction in nine years from expatriate novelist ha jin a free life. It is updated version and you can get paperback or kindle version easily. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
Ha jins new book of short stories, a good fall, is set in one of the most american of cities, new york. Feb 17, 2020 ha jin, chinese american writer who used plain, unadorned english prose to explore the tension between the individual and the family, the modern and the traditional, and personal feelings and duty. He has turned out remarkable novels, short stories, and poetry all the more remarkable considering he only began writing in english in the late 1980s. They are all set in flushing, ny, and are about the immigrant life. Ha jins new shortstory collection, a good fall, takes readers to.
Stories still allow him to get to the heart of the matter in a more piercing manner. Stark, deeply moving, acutely insightful, and often strikingly humorous, a good fall reminds us once again of the storytelling prowess of this superb writer. This may be ha jins best work yet, his stories often ascending to the mystical penumbra we expect of singer, malamud, or oconnor. Jin began to educate himself in chinese literature and high school curriculum at sixteen. The immigrants in ha jin s latest story collection seem to be in exile not only from the china of their dreams and memories, but from their very sense of who they are. They make this an annoyingly arty book, hiding more than not behind. A dozen books into his career, ha jin remains a limited stylist with a faulty. Out of all the stories, i cant remember the exact number since ive returned the book, i like the following. Ha jins fourth story collection, a good fall, consists of twelve short stories, each focusing on the experiences of chinese american immigrants working hard to improve their lives in a country. Flushing, queens, is home to one of new yorks largest chinese immigrant communities. The stories themselves all about chinese immigrants in flushing, nyc are not bad, some of them are even very intriguing but the endings. The melting pot in ha jins new collection, a good fall, resembles a simmering chinese hot pot, where varied ingredients complement each other in flavor, yet each keeps its distinct taste, rather. The characters who inhabit the stories in a good fall, a new collection by national book awardwinner ha jin, are chinese immigrants of various stripes, all living or working in the queens, new york, neighborhood of flushing. Stories with startling clarity, jin explores the challenges, loneliness and uplift associated with discovering ones place in america.
Jul 03, 2010 a good fall consists of short stories written by a chineseamerican author, hajin. Nov 08, 2015 online extensive reading and writing learn more about the book a good fall by ha jin. He has received the national book award, two penfaulkner awards, the penhemingway award, the asian american literary award, and the flannery oconnor award for short fiction. Ha jins new shortstory collection, a good fall, takes. Ha jin in his first book of stories since the bridegroom, national book awardwinning author ha jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of chinese immigrants in america. When i read a collection of short stories, i typically make notes on the table of contents page because i cannot always recall the story based on the. Jin, who has set seven of his nine works of fiction in asia, chose to meet in flushing because that is the setting for the stories in his new collection, a good fall fresh territory for the. First collection of short fiction in nine years from expatriate novelist ha jin a free life, 2007, etc. He is the author of eight novels, four story collections, three volumes of poetry, and a book of essays. Ha jin left his native china in 1985 to attend brandeis university. His notable novels included waiting 2000 and war trash 2004. A good fall is a departure, in terms of setting, from jins three earlier collections, which focus on the chinese people before the 1990s, when china strengthened its openness and reform efforts. Dec 06, 2009 in simple, unadorned declarative sentences, a good fall, ha jins latest collection of short stories limns, once again, the chinese immigrant experience in america. Click download or read online button to get ha jin book now.
The narrators and characters in a good fall, his new story collection featuring a cast of chinese immigrants, express their feelings and the reasons for them bluntly. Mar 31, 2020 his newest books are a free life 2007, the writer as migrant 2008, a good fall 2009 and nanjing requiem pantheon 2011. Ha jin simply drops us into his characters lives, then levitates us back out of them. His opening dedication, to lisha and wen, who lived this book, suggests similarities to jin s own immigration story. His latest collection, a good fall 2009, continues his american observances. Ha jin reads a good fall bostonia winterspring 2010. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A good fall vintage international a good fall vintage international there are several list of books by ha jin available in the market and you can buy this one easily. Chicago tribune, chicago suntimes, entertainment weekly, slatein a free life, ha jin follows the wu family father nan, mother pingping, and son taotao as they sever their ties with china in the aftermath of the 1989 massacre at. Ha jins a good fall a good fall is a book with dozen stories that delineates on the lives of chinese immigrants whose hope has been crushed in their new homeus. Various characters have been used by ha jin in exploiting various themes about the lives that immigrants goes through. His penultimate novel, a free life 2007, was jin s first book to be set in his adopted land, and marks a clear delineation in his career.
Buy a good fall vintage international vintage intl ed. National book award winner ha jin gives us a collection of stories that delves into the experience of chinese immigrants in america. Ha jin, chinese american writer who used plain, unadorned english prose to explore the tension between the individual and the family, the modern and the traditional, and personal feelings and duty. Just like the old chinatown, the new chinatown is also a microcosm and the subjects range from the indigent to professional. A new york times notable bookone of the best books of the year. Jin currently teaches at boston university in boston, massachusetts.
In the crossfire is taken from your forthcoming book, a good fall. Ha jins latest shortstory collection continues developing one of his favorite themes. Ha jin lives in the boston area and is a professor of english at boston university. Like most immigrant stories, these tales are at once universal and particularmarked by the familiar adjustments needed to survive in a new place, which in this. All of ha jins characters struggle to remain loyal to their homeland and its traditions while also exploring the freedom that life in a new country offers. His premises are gripping, his emotional bedrock hard and truethere is no doubt that in a good fall ha jin captures a new, growing slice of america.
He is the author of eight novels, four story collections, four volumes of poetry, and a book of essays. National book awardwinner ha jin brings us a collection of stories that delve into the experiences of chinese immigrants in america. Ha jin a collection of stories by chineseamerican writer ha jin in which he discusses, among other topics, the experience of chinese immigrants in the united states as they face daily struggles and long to. Jan 03, 2010 the immigrants in ha jins latest story collection seem to be in exile not only from the china of their dreams and memories, but from their very sense of who they are. The immigrants in ha jins latest story collection seem to be in exile not only from the china of their dreams and memories, but from their very. Ha jins new book, a good fall, explores chinain america. All of ha jin s characters struggle to remain loyal to their homeland and its traditions while also exploring the freedom that life in a new country offers. In simple, unadorned declarative sentences, a good fall, ha jin s latest collection of short stories limns, once again, the chinese immigrant experience in america. National book award winner ha jin writes about the tribulations of life in chinese society with dark humor and an economical but effective prose style. A good fall by ha jin essay example topics and well. The stories are about chinese immigrants lifestyles in america and how they struggle to make a living in some stories. In his first book of stories since the bridegroom, national book awardwinning author ha jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of chinese immigrants in america.
He presents a wide range of protagonists from a graduate student and young professor. A good fall by ha jin is a collection of short stories dealing with the lives of chinese immigrants to the u. Photo of author ha jin from the jacket of his latest book, the fall ran on. The lastest from national book award winner and bu professor ha jin is a collection of twelve short stories unfolding in and around queens, new york citys most richly diverse borough. Yes, i conceived the stories as a collection from the very beginning. He presents a wide range of protagonists from a graduate student and young professor to a presser in a garment factory to a monk and draws their characters so well you feel like you know them, even within the confines of a short story. Ha jins new book, a good fall, explores chinain america wsj. The chineseborn american writer, who won the national book award for his novel waiting in 1999, is visiting from boston university, where he. In short, the storytellers art is richly on display here. Jin sets all of the stories in a good fall in and around flushing, new york, home to enough chinese immigrants that his characters can go weeks without having to speak english.