‘The Enchanting Lives of Others’ by Can Xue (Review)

One of the best parts of reading is sharing your thoughts and ideas with likeminded folk, which is why I’ve been doing what I do for over eighteen years now. However, where my literary social club is wholly online, others meet up in person to discuss their literary choices, leading to some more personal connections, My review today looks at a book where literature and love collide, with thoughts on novels giving way to hopes of life together. If that sounds a little trashy, though, rest assured that it’s not quite as simple as it might appear, and that little is exactly as it seems in this particular book club… ***** Can Xue’s The Enchanting Lives of Others (translated by Annelise Finnegan) is a lengthy novel set in the provincial Chinese city of Meng. We’re introduced to Xiao Sang, a woman approaching thirty working at a department store, and she acts as our way into the novel, one which will introduce us to a number of people with one thing in mind (well, let’s say two, actually).…