Review Yak

Robert Black, an English-born New Zealander, now gets to indulge his writing passion in China, where he is hoping to realize his dream of writing full time. Robert has a fascinating discussion on The Bookhabit show where he talks about a new understanding he has gained after living in the East for 7 years. It’s a lifestyle that now affords Robert the ability to live his life exactly as he wants, and you can’t ask for more than that.

His two completed books roughly trace his journey to where he is now living in China. The first novel, The Control Sickness, condenses his 10 years of being a criminal defence and family court lawyer, into the life of young lawyer James Pringle. In real life it took Robert longer than the two years it takes James to abandon his work as a barrister, and he didn’t make his decision based on the seminal event that leads to James quitting the law. The real life reason for Robert giving up was boredom, “doing the same thing for nine years and dying every day. Sure I was complaining about something”.

The Fake Celebrity in China sometimes reads more like a Penthouse Forum entry with alcohol, drugs, and prostitutes, forming the backdrop of Robert’s life in Beijing. It charters the way his thinking changes as he realizes his thinking is now “trapped between the two cultures”. Robert enjoys a privileged take on a culture steeped in tradition that is embarking on an unstoppable voyage into the future.

The harshness and shock value of his work mean it probably won’t be for everyone, but Robert says that people from both cultures have read The Fake Celebrity in China and agree that while it may not be the most readily offered view, it is a version of the truth that they don’t disagree with.

The Control Sickness and The Fake Celebrity in China are available on www.bookhabit.com
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This entry was posted on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 at 2:41 pm and is filed under Author Interview, Book Reviews, Bookhabit Show. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.