from Marina

I first read Ken Liu’s intro to “Invisible Planets,” and I was so happy somebody put in words what I’ve been thinking for a long time when trying to “describe” what “Mexican literature” is all about.  I’ve been asked numerous times about what Mexican literature is, what Mexican authors talk about, etc. And until now, I couldn’t find a way to explain that Mexican literature is so different and, at the same time so similar to other “world literatures.” As Liu expressed, all authors touch on universal and atemporal themes because we are all humans. And at the same time, all authors focus on themes that are important to them for whatever reason. The difference resides in the author and their context, not geopolitical or geographical divisions. 

I also wanted to comment on how endearing and heartbreaking “Tongtong’s Summer” was. I almost cried! I loved Xia Jia’s creativity and imagination in approaching such relevant and important topics such as men vs. machines, age, family relationships, the language barrier in families, generational differences, and how to take care of the elder in a world where there doesn’t seem to be a place for those who can’t be physically or mentally independent.

I also really enjoyed “Folding Beijing,” but I think that “Tongtong’s Summer” really stole the spotlight for me. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for Ken Liu to translate these incredible stories. I wonder what the translator had to sacrifice in order to make everything work in English.