“Oh, life was an ocean misery. There was no way to get out of the suffering except death. But he couldn't do that, not because he was a coward but because he had to take care of his family.”
More from Ha Jin
“You just had a bad day. Keep practicing. Nothing is as easy as eating noodles.”
“I took more courage to live than to die.”
“He realized anger was also a source of power, which the artist ought to convert into…”
“My heart is like an atomic bomb, eager to blast everything.”