A Chinaman in LA

A Chinaman in LA Nell Freudenberger shows why she is hailed as one of the best young American novelists

This is a rare book with incredible span. The author not only creates a rich tapestry of characters, she also straddles two separate worlds. With effortless elegance. Moving from a Chinese activist to your regular American family, all the while traveling the distance from Beijing to Los Angeles. Nell Freudenberger8217;s debut novel The Dissident is an ambitious attempt that succeeds. So instead of being a complex read, it is actually just the opposite. The rhythm, the pace, the storyline are easy, like a gentle inhalation and exhalation. Or a beautiful piece of art. Which is the crux of the novel.

A Chinese political activist and performance artist, Yuan Zhao, is invited to America to teach art to college girls. He is a guest of a wealthy family in Los Angeles but it soon becomes evident that their guest is not what he appears to be. But neither is the Travers family. Cece and Gordon aren8217;t happy any more in spite of outward appearances. Their son Max was caught with a gun. Their daughter Olivia is flirting with anorexia. And to add to their problems, Gordon8217;s brother Phil makes a reappearance. A failure once, he has hit the big time with the sale of his script to a Hollywood company. Except the story revolves around his affair with Cece.

Cut to the story of Zhao and his life at the 8220;East Village8221; of Beijing. A time when art was beginning to make its voice felt and the government was beginning to show signs of complete displeasure. His cousin 8220;X8221; initiates him to the movement and it is here 8212; in these recollections 8212; that the novel shows its greatest spark. As performance artistes their biggest question is whose art is it anyway. 8220;If I photograph him, then it is art, no matter who8217;s making it. Problem is 8212; without him I8217;m nothing; without me his work disappears. That8217;s the big question, see? Whose art is it?8221; In a sense this is also the answer to the question. It certainly is central to the development and thought of the storyline. So whether Zhao is secretive or getting intimate with a student, what you see is not what you get.

Freudenberger8217;s greatest strength though lies in her ability to give each character a real personality. She may not invest a lot of time on them 8212; and she may introduce too many characters at times 8212; but she has a keen ear for the nuance of each person8217;s language and tone. That gives The Dissident a great depth and relevance. The author of Lucky Girls8212;an award winning collection of short stories8212;is incredibly talented in creating an ensemble cast.

But 8212; and there is a but 8212; there is a flaw. And that too at the finish line. At the end of the novel none of the characters gets the conclusion they deserved. There is none of the flourish or promise that they entered the novel with. They just fizzle out with a whimper. You are left with a lot of questions that even the slightly contrived neat ending cannot deliver.

However, you can be sure that the 32-year-old will deliver the next time. Because her talent to tell a story is not in question. She is contemporary literature8217;s newest, most exciting voice.