The Beijing of Possibilities

The characters in all the stories are so full of life - A man in the disguise of a mascot, Wannabe parents in worry, The tricksters in action. Names like 'Fragrant Hills' and sayings (until proven otherwise) like 'when the enemy thinks we will fight in the mountains, we will fight in the valleys' recreate the place. The traditional sayings fill the worried parents with hope and acceptance. I wonder how different are the possibilities in Shanghai. Mangosteen

Interesting and poignant stories that seem to lift the veil of secrecy as to what and how modern China and Chinese think, feel and live. Wish the writting was a bit better, deeper and more fluid (more like Ms Lahiri's books). I recomend the book.

The Beijing of Possibilities is a short story collection exploring the realities of modern life in Beijing, from the perspective of locals, illegal residents, visiting foreigners and even the occasional era-transcending character. Throughout the twelve stories that make up this collection, author Jonathan Tel brings his readers into the complex, urban, ever-changing world of modern-day Beijing, an exciting city undergoing a strange transition, a city experiencing capitalist growth in a communist country, an urban megaforce peopled by both the affluent and the impoverished. Tel takes his readers into the lives of people from all of the social spheres that exist in modern Beijing, from the businessman to the prostitute and the scam artist. He wants us to understand the complexity of this enormous, historical city--both its past significance and its current role in the life of China. The stories in The Beijing of Possibilities are written with wit and style, and while some may fall flat, they nonetheless provide a good primer to Beijing, a city that is at once steeped in thousands of years of history and also rushing into the 21st century full-throttle. Reviewed by Ashley McCall

Jonathan Tel is known for his successful 2003 novel, FREUD'S ALPHABET, and his previous short story collection, ARAFAT'S ELEPHANT. The "possibilities" in Beijing --- and with a conceivable stretch, any city in the world --- are lessons to be learned. China, arguably, is the seat of the largest economic and cultural shift in history. THE BEIJING OF POSSIBILITIES captures the essence of that rapid change in a collection of endearing short stories, set in a country where storytelling is an art form. The first short story, "Year of the Gorilla," takes place in the spring of 2008. "Gorillagram" was a fad, in which a "singing telegram" of sorts was delivered by a pitifully paid immigrant worker in a gorilla costume. Two months before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, quasi-capitalists find themselves with sudden wealth. "A businesswoman walked by, a red handbag swinging from her shoulder. Suddenly [the Gorillagram man] heard a roar and a Honda moped was accelerating past, two men on it. The passenger grabbed the handbag!" The Gorilla-man didn't monkey around. He attacked the two moped thieves, dusted off the red purse and returned it to the lady. A cell phone with video capabilities captured the gallant crime thwart. The Internet and newspapers spread word of the Gorilla Hero. Recipients of Gorillagrams now assumed he was a celebrity, and his tips evaporated like mist in the desert. Confused by a rash of crimes leading up to the Olympics, police arrest the poor man and make him a laughingstock. Police ask, "So, Gorilla, is it true that you're opposed to the development of capitalist enterprise in China?" The Gorillagram fad ran its course; bipedal capitalists feared arrest, when the government wanted to rid Beijing of all "foreigners" --- anyone who does not speak the same regional dialect from one of approximately 50 in China. Lesson to be learned: Government employees unversed in capitalism prevent others from becoming capitalists. Red-purse thieves notwithstanding, with China's history of honesty and respect for elders, Tel's second tale is more complex. Newlyweds find hidden away in the apartment they've just acquired a canister filled with things only of sentimental value --- except for an expensive jade spoon. With intentions of honesty and respect, they struggle to find the rightful owner. Years of communism prevent the aged owner from claiming anything of value. The couple knows she is the owner and mails the contents. Return to sender, with a note that the spoon did not belong to her; if it did, she had no knowledge of it. Ay, there's the rub. One member of the couple had left out the spoon, thinking it would not be missed after 40 years. Guilt causes everything to go back, along with money the couple cannot spare. Like an albatross, it keeps coming back, until the guilt-ridden couple spends a month's income to appease their guilty consciences. Consciences appeased, the money and spoon finally do not return. Had the value of honesty held true,