China in Ten Words - Softcover

Yu Hua

4.04

7,275 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 071564551X ISBN 13: 9780715645512

Publisher: Duckworth, 2013

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'A brilliant memoir of China... beautifully narrated, carefully analytical and at times personally courageous.' Guardian

A powerful, intimate look at the Chinese experience from the years of the Cultural Revolution to the present day, told through personal stories from one of China s most acclaimed authors. Framed by ten words and phrases common in the Chinese vernacular, China in Ten Words reveals as never before the world s most populous yet often misunderstood nation. Characterised by Yu Hua's trademark wit, insight, and courage, he presents a refreshingly candid vision of the 'Chinese miracle' and all its consequences, from the singularly invaluable perspective of a leading writer living in China.

Yu Hua is the author of four novels, six collections of stories, and three collections of essays. His work has been translated into more than twenty languages. In 2002, he became the first Chinese writer to win the James Joyce Award. To Live and Chronicle of a Blood Merchant were named two of the past decade's ten most influential books in China by Wen Hui Bao, the largest newspaper in Shanghai. Yu Hua lives in Beijing.

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Product Description:

A unique, intimate look at the Chinese experience over the past several decades, told through personal stories and astute analysis that sharply illuminate the country's meteoric economic rise and social transformation. Framed by ten words or phrases common in the Chinese vernacular, China in Ten Words reveals as never before the world's most populous yet most often misunderstood nation. This is a refreshingly candid vision of the 'Chinese miracle' and all its consequences, from the singularly invaluable perspective of a leading writer living in China today.

Review:

'A wealth of darkly comic anecdotes about everyday life in China over the last 50 years... riveting.' Prospect

'Caustic and difficult to forget, China in Ten Words is a people's eye view of a world in which the people have little place.' TIME

'Captures the heart of the Chinese people in an intimate, profound and often disturbing way. If you think you know China, you will be challenged to think again. If you don't know China, you will be introduced to a country that is unlike anything you have heard from travellers or read about in the news.' Wall Street Journal

'Gripping... it astounds me that Yu Hua has not already joined Nobel Peace Prize-winner Liu Xiaobo and a growing number of other outspoken intellectuals behind bars.' Jonathan Mirsky, Literary Review

'A humane, sceptical take on China's changing identity... this fascinating book succeeds in sidestepping the perils of huyou (bamboozle) and gives the reader a real connection to China's caogen (grassroots).' Rana Mitter, Daily Telegraph

'Kaleidoscopic... each word the prompt for personal memoir, contemporary reportage and sharp political commentary.' Independent

'At times humorous, at times heartbreaking and at times fierce... Written with a novelist's eye and narrative flair.' Ha Jin, National Book Award-winning author of Waiting

'An extraordinary book shot through with memoir, Yu Hua describes a revolution that jars the western reader on every page and drives home the differences that make China seem so alien.' Scotsman

'It's rare to find a work of fiction that can be hysterically funny at some points, while deeply moving and disturbing at others. It's even more unusual to find such qualities in a work of non-fiction. But China in Ten Words is just such an extraordinary work' Los Angeles Review of Books

'Yu Hua blends personal anecdote and national events to produce a moving and often disturbing look at the worlds next superpower witty and poetic Hua offers a refreshing approach to examining the recent history of this fascinating country.' --We Love This Book

'It's rare to find a work of fiction that can be hysterically funny at some points, while deeply moving and disturbing at others. It's even more unusual to find such qualities in a work of non-fiction. But China in Ten Words is just such an extraordinary work' --Los Angeles Review of Books

'Yu Hua blends personal anecdote and national events to produce a moving and often disturbing look at the worlds next superpower witty and poetic Hua offers a refreshing approach to examining the recent history of this fascinating country' --We Love This Book

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