Elephant Herd by Zhang Guixing, translated by Carlos Rojas, follows Shi Shicai as he travels in the rainforest searching for his uncle, the leader of a communist guerilla group. The novel jumps in time mid-paragraph, blurs humanity and nature, and includes elements of magical realism. It is a challenging read that demands a reader’s concentration and a willingness to be lost.

The writing is crowded with images and descriptions of the flora and fauna of the rainforest. As the reader picks their way through the novel, it pulls them without warning to different timelines. The translator, Carlos Rojas, does a wonderful job of helping the reader adjust to the writer’s style early in the novel by including line breaks between the time jumps and slowly weans the reader off the visual aid as the novel continues. The introduction by Rojas is a valuable read for understanding the novel and the difficulties of its translation.

Exploring the effects of the communist uprising, the complicated dynamics between ethnic Chinese, Malays, and the Indigenous Iban community, and the responsibilities of families, Elephant Herd is for readers willing to engage with a novel that boasts of its own weirdness.

I read it. I think I really liked it. I know I need to read it again. Thank you, NetGalley and Columbia University Press, for providing an advanced copy for review consideration; all opinions are my own.

Lush and rich in it's narrative, so much so that I got rather lost in the rainforest, in the leaves and the sounds and the animals and the people and the ghosts of both. Loosing track of where I was was made more so because of the visits to the past and the present. Time is not linear here. Plus the animals and the ghost thereof are sometimes animals but other times stand in for people, different groups, all 'making a life' in the rainforest and the river...................

Very interesting novel and beautifully translated. For the first quarter or so I thought I could really love this - the spectral elephant herd, the lush descriptions of the rainforest fauna of Borneo - but I was less interested in the river journey and political situation, which at times was described in an artless expository way. But the weirdness, elements of magical realism, and achronological storytelling appealed to me, and it was a worthwhile read though not perfect for me.

Elephant Herd has a number of features I liked, though these same features made it a difficult read. The book is very atmospheric, with the rain forest being viscerally present in the text at all times. This allows for a complicated exploration of the relationship between people and environment, though no easy resolutions are proffered. It also explores (again, somewhat ambiguously) the relationship between Malaysians of different ethnicities, focusing on Chinese Malaysians (Zhang's own background) and Indigenous Iban people in Sarawak.

A core feature of the book is its sudden slippages in narrative between past and present. These take place suddenly and without warning, sometimes mid-paragraph. This is the feature that will likely make or break a reader's view of the book: I personally liked this, but it did make for a challenging read. I also want to note Rojas' translator introduction, which is excellent; Rojas provides an accessible explanation of the complicated nature of the text in Chinese, including aspects that are more or less translatable (timeline slippages) and those that aren't (variety of Chinese dialects in use). While I personally would have preferred that Rojas not add paragraph breaks to indicate timeline changes in the early chapters, I respect the decision and the sheer difficulty of translating this book.

This is a qualified recommendation: Elephant Herd won't be for everyone, but if you're looking to read something challenging or very different, it's a great choice. The novel deals quite bluntly with a number of potentially triggering topics, so I do recommend familiarizing yourself with the content warnings before reading.

Huge thanks to Columbia University Press & Net Galley for the opportunity to review an advance copy of this book.

This novel is a translation of a 1998 work of political fiction written by Chinese Malaysian Zhang Guixing, who was born in North Borneo but now lives in Taiwan. The story takes place during the Sarawak insurgency, a communist-led guerrilla war against the Malaysian government that lasted from 1962 to 1990. Protagonist Shi Shicai lost his brothers to this war and is searching for his uncle to avenge their deaths. Much of his time is spent in the Bornean rainforest populated by exotic, dangerous and, at times, mythical creatures that lend a magical realism component to the work. The story floats between present to past, reality and something else, which taxes the attention and understanding until one adjusts to it. It is only then that the beauty of this work begins to emerge. For the Western reader, the author’s style can present a challenge. But, for those who enjoy Modern Chinese literature and are looking for a book that addresses diasporic viewpoints, this can be an option.

Thank you to Columbia University Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

I'm afraid, unlike everyone else who has read this book, that I didn't enjoy it at all. I got hopelessly confused about where the boy was or where he was going and the title of the book is misleading. The actual mythical elephant herd that the boy searches for only appear a few times and I didn't understand the significance even then.

Not for me.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for the advance review copy.

Elephant Herd by Guixing Zhang is a novel that blends themes of migration, family, and the search for belonging. The story is centered around a Chinese family and the generational struggles they face as they navigate a rapidly changing world. The title Elephant Herd metaphorically refers to a large group or collective, reflecting the familial bonds and the weight of tradition that guide their lives.

Zhang uses the image of elephants—symbolizing memory, strength, and community—to explore the complexities of familial duty, the pursuit of personal freedom, and the cultural expectations placed on individuals. The narrative is deeply introspective, examining the inner conflicts of characters caught between preserving their heritage and forging their own paths in modern society.

The novel's rich, evocative prose offers a nuanced look at the challenges of balancing personal desires with family obligations, making it a compelling read for those interested in stories that delve into cultural identity, generational tensions, and the nature of belonging.

interesting book with a very cool nature theme within it and some fun camo motifs. 4 stars. would recomend.

Beautiful lyrical writing almost poetic. A simple story of life for a small boy and travels with family through the rainforest. It felt like being lost in the forest with the story teller. Gorgeous and a challenging life. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.