Waiting by Ha Jin is a novel set in the New China of the Cultural Revolution, following one man for two decades while he tries to divorce his wife in his home village each year so he can marry his girlfriend in the city.

Not much happens in this novel, except a lot of waiting as the title suggests. Jin has the rare ability to capture the details of everyday life and the emotions hidden under the surface. He taps into the truth that we are all always waiting for something better to improve our lives, yet when we get it, it rarely makes us happier.

Although I liked Jin’s writing, I found this book rather depressing. The climax was very anti-climactic and everyone remained as miserable and unhappy as ever; I just couldn’t find myself caring about these characters.