A review by vaddia99
The Husky & His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun (Novel) Vol. 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

dark funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 
 This book is legitimately haunting me.

I mean it when I say that I think Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou is equivalent to modern day Shakespeare, but I could not convince a soul that I'm not clinically deranged for thinking that without writing a full dissertation on their writing.

First I will say this book is honest to god the filthiest thing I've ever read that has been officially published and I am simply astounded by it. Knowing the time period and context in which this has been published I can only deeply applaud Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou for achieving this. Beyond that though the humor and wordplay in this book is frankly absolutely insane. The fact that so much of it lives past the translation is a testament to how clever Rou Bao is. I can only imagine how incredibly smart this book is without the language barrier and hope that one day I can read it again in it's native tongue.

As for this book haunting me; I can't get over how smart the narration is. I finished this first volume and I can confidently say I don't know what happened in Mo Ran's last life. He is lying and keeping from even himself which leaves us with a muddy and confusing narrative which perfectly reflect how he feels confronting his reality. Rou Bao made the reader feel how Mo Ran feels without even forcing them to empathize with him which is INCREDIBLE.

+Chu Wanning's narration makes me eat drywall

+The Chu Wanning from Mo Ran's past life haunting the narrative. (We never get to know how he felt. What he did. What Mo Ran did to him. Yet he appears constantly haunting Mo Ran's thoughts and our perceptions of Chu Wanning, Mo Ran and Shi Mei.)

Modern day Shakespeare I fear.

I'll edit this to a better review when I get my bearings. That cliff hanger made me want to puke. I'm haunted