Bruce Humes

A note from author Han Han at the beginning of his novel, His Country (他的国). It ranked Number One in China nationwide sales for March 2009. 

The inspiration for the title of this novel came from an essay in “Southern Weekend” in memory of Che Guevara, “His Country—No Place for it in Our World.”  Of course, my novel and Che Guevara are totally unrelated. This is the first time I’ve written such a complete story. Originally, I didn’t intend to write anything so complete, but as things evolved toward the end, everything was interconnected.  I was tempted to have things turn out tragically for the main character; there were countless chances to wind things up, leave him penniless and even terminate him. But in the end, I didn’t do that. Just like the novel’s storyline: Even if you rocket on your motorcycle through a thick fog in search of death, there’s always a glimmer of light that guides you to a luminous spot.