A little while ago I wrote here at SHS decrying amoral Trade reviews given to a new book called Larry’s Kidney, in which a man and his Cousin Larry go to China for a little biological colonialism to buy the aforementioned Larry a kidney–no doubt obtained from killing a prisoner (perhaps criminal, perhaps political, perhaps Falun Gong). I was disgusted at the outsourcing of ethics and the solipsism of the idea that our lives are worth others being killed over for cash. (For a contrary, and from my perspective right ethical view, see the novel by Dean Koontz, Your Heart Belongs to Me)
Well, now Larry’s Kidney received another favorable–and utterly amoral–book review by Andrew Ervin in the Washington Post. From the review:
The ensuing adventure is the stuff of slapstick comedy, as Rose and Larry navigate the Chinese black market, the dodgy medical establishment and their own relationship. It’s curious and occasionally tense, especially when after all that trouble Larry threatens to call off the operation if it’s going to be too expensive. Though their odyssey was a success in the end, Rose makes the moral of the story clear: “Don’t try to go to China for a kidney. We got the last one.”
Yea, killing prisoners to make big bucks on the organ market: I’m sure the dead person’s family are really yucking it up.




June 17th, 2009 | 4:09 am
“And then, the executioner held the screaming Falon Gong prisoner down, and removed his kidney without anaesthesia! Ha ha ha ha aha ha ha ha ha…”
June 17th, 2009 | 11:39 am
I only browsed the reviews, and haven’t read the book, but “Larry” seems to be a ne’er-do-well who is involved in corrupt business transactions and embezzlement. . . . both of which can carry a death sentence in China.
I wonder if there’s a much more melancholy companion Chinese-language novel called, say, “Yuechan’s Kidney”, about a writer’s failed attempt to get his lovable scamp of a cousin off death row, only to find out he’s been shot so that his kidney could be sold to a rich American?
June 18th, 2009 | 5:11 am
SV-good point.
Links
Blogs
Find Us
Contact