a ▁patient ▁to ▁his ▁life ▁before ▁his ▁shooting . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁for ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁positive , ▁with ▁T ash ▁Aw ▁calling ▁it ▁" a ▁land mark ". ▁P ank aj ▁M ish ra ▁compared ▁Be ij ing ▁Com a ▁with ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁writers ▁such ▁as ▁Milan ▁K und era , ▁Josef ▁Š kv ore ck ý ▁and ▁Ivan ▁Kl í ma . ▁Mich iko ▁K ak ut ani ▁pra ised ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁translation ▁while ▁stating ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁" is ▁des per ately ▁in ▁need ▁of ▁editing ". ▁ ▁Cont ro vers y ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁Ma ▁protest ed ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁China ▁as ▁the ▁guest ▁of ▁honor ▁at ▁the ▁London ▁Book ▁Fair . ▁Ma ▁used ▁red ▁paint ▁to ▁sm ear ▁a ▁cross ▁over ▁his ▁face ▁and ▁attempted ▁to ▁present ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁Be ij ing ▁Com a ▁to ▁Li u ▁Bin j ie , ▁but ▁was ▁stopped ▁by ▁security . ▁Ma ▁called ▁his ▁Chinese ▁publish er ▁a ▁" mouth pie ce ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁commun ist ▁party " ▁and ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁man hand led ▁while ▁trying ▁to ▁give ▁Li u ▁his ▁book . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁Official ▁Publish er ▁site ▁ ▁Category : 2 0 0 8 ▁American ▁nov els ▁Category : 2 1 st - century ▁Chinese ▁nov els ▁Category : 1 9 8 9 ▁T ian an men ▁Square ▁protest s ▁Category : Nov els ▁set ▁in ▁China ▁Category : Book ▁c