Globe Corner Blogs

A young journalist befriends an older gentleman and his bird in “Comedy of Birds.” When the old man has been talked into freeing his favorite bird by the Old Men Bird Club that he belongs to, he bemoans the day. When it arrives, the young man comes along, envisioning a feature story. As everyone’s bird takes flight the old man’s bird drops dead from the sky. The journalist sees his story fly away.

The Pearl Jacket and Other Stories is full of short-shorts with this biting irony or crisp, cruel social criticism. However, it also shares with the readers moments of calm, tenderness, and even humor. Every story in the book can be categorized as “flash fiction,” a style popular both in China and in the US. This book’s short-shorts are about 1000 words or less. Stories this short offer the reader a juicy mouthful of one emotion, idea, or atmosphere of a time.

The stories in this book are arranged by theme: relationships, society, truth and art, etc. Within each section the stories are arranged chronologically, so a reader could go from start to finish in each chapter and observe the changing styles and opinions of the writers from the mid 20th century to today. On the other hand, a reader could easily jump all over in the book, sampling a variety of subjects, styles, and time periods.

These bite-size stories carry a surprising amount of weight. They provide astonishing insight on both the Chinese psyche and lifestyle and humanity in general. They also provide a great deal of entertainment. But each one is still delicate and should be read with care and attention, before they fly away.

Read more: Book Reviews, China, Fiction


Llalan specializes in all things Ohio, but has funny stories from all over the US and Canada, plus a few snort-inducing ones from Thailand. And not only does she read books from around the world, she also samples beers in as many languages as possible. Favorite style: the multi-national American Double IPA.

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