[Pierre-Marie Baty]

"Man's Fate and The hope is on the list now, but could you tell a bit more of what they about, pmb?"

Both books are about the nature of man. The first one takes place in Shanghai in the 1930's a short time before the Chinese revolution, during the insurrection of the town. Although there's a nice story, the story itself is merely an excuse. You follow half a dozen of persons in various situations, involved closely or by far in the insurrection. You literally spectate the changes in their minds as they either get to fear the uprising more and more for some or experience the opportunity to "live for something" for the others. A wise mix of psychology and asian wisdom is involved in every page. There's also the usual and unavoidable wise old chinese, too old to take part in the insurrection, but who watches his son and his relatives facing danger while he witnesses his own wisdom reaching the far limits of what he ever allowed himself to think. There are also a good lot of fascinating, impressively lucid, very deep discussions between the characters in Man's Fate. Without making it explicit, the book deals with the question inherent to its title: What is man's fate ? "We are alone, of a loneliness nothing can cure us from, against which we never cease to fight".

The second one is only if you liked the first one. The Hope (I don't know if I translate the title right, it could be Man's Hope as well) takes place in Spain, in about the same time, during the spanish civil war, and especially the battle of Madrid where the republicans and the International Brigades (volunteers from other countries against fascism) were defending the town against the fascist legions of Franco. The author participated in the spanish civil war as a volunteer pilot. There are more characters involved in this story and the relationships between them are more subtle, as well as their psychology. But there are also large parts of battle and fights where you are taken next to some soldier or some pilot, and experience the war by his side, second after second, in the middle of the explosions, the suffering and the fear. Ever wondered what happened in a soldier's mind ? This book covers the question of giving a meaning to one's life, standing for something, and accepting to give his life for it. It's a book you literally feel.