The Scent of Garlic: China Postmodernism and Mo Yan In spite of the fact that postmodernism in China, like every influence coming from the West turns into something completely inimitable and unique, the art of Chinese authors can be still understood by the European dwellers. Among the issues which modern Chinese writers touch upon the one concerning the political life of the country takes one of the key places. Since expressing direct critique is not the Chinese refined style, Mo Yan, one of the most prolific modern – or should it be said, postmodern? – writer uses the most refined and exquisite style of metaphors. As Jensen explains, “Interfamily struggles and intrigues, involving complex and sensitive historical and political issues, lend the novel an allegorical quality” (166). Putting his ideas into his characters and making them speak the way he does and think the way he thinks, the Chinese author creates the world of his own where there are no boundaries for people’s will, the specific “’my’ world” (122), as Lu says. Exploring the political issues is one of those spheres where Mo Yan is most brilliant. With the most subtle hints and the most picturesque descriptions he exposes the life of the ordinary people to the eyes of the audience, making the readers live in China fro a while. Thus, plunging into the fascinating, wise and enticing stories, one can touch upon the versatile and yet so conservative Chinese culture. Cai explains this in the following way: “the post-Mao move toward modernity has also been designed and implemented under an acute awareness of the need to position china in an increasingly globalized environment” (154). However, like a real wise man, Mo does not speak his ideas in the novel, leaving this complicated issue to his characters. And they do talk, in an impressive and convincing way. Yet there is quite an important question: whom should the reader listen to? The Faces of the Author No matter what one can read between the lines of a novel, the author will never reveal his/her true face to the reader. However, trying to draw certain parallels between the lead characters of the book and the author him-/herself, it could be possible to come to certain conclusion. Thus, it would be better to consider the ideas which the works of Mo Yan are shot through with. What Mo Yan was trying to convey in his book was the desperate state of Chinese peasants in the so-called Paradise County. His heart was aching for the country stamped into dirt straight after its short revival. With great pain for the results of the situation in China, he managed to express his sorrow through the novel. However, Mo Yan did not accuse either of the parties. Like a wise man should do, he only observed what was going on. Not able to speak out loud, he created the characters who could speak the truth louder than anyone else. Thus, Sollars comments on the works of Mo Yan in the following way: In Mo Yan’s The Garlic Ballads, the rural world is moved to China in the 1980s. Set in the fictional Paradise County in northern China, the novel relates the stories of Gao Yang and Gao Ma, two peasants participating in a riot of the garlic farmers. (533) Pointing that Yan is greatly concerned with the political situation in China and its tragic pa