| Description |
ix, 451 pages ; 21 cm |
| Series |
Modern Chinese classics |
|
HarperPerennial modern Chinese classics.
|
| Summary |
General Adult. In his epic novel, originally published in 17, Zhang explores Chinas upheaval in the decades after the creation of the Peoples Republic in 19. At the heart of the story are the three major families in the small town of Wali. The Sui family was among the wealthiest until political change left them with little more than grief and anger. The Zhao clan, on the other hand, rose to power during the revolutions violence, some of which the clan helped direct at the Suis. The Li clan, known for eccentricities, pushed the town toward industrialization. As the nonlinear narrative spirals backwards and forwards through time, the disturbing details of Walis history are unearthed, including graphic descriptions of the cruel punishments meted out in the name of reform (and revenge). In Zhangs capable hands, Wali becomes a microcosm of the turmoil China underwent during the pivotal political and cultural moments of the 20th century. Written two years before the Tiananmen Square protests, this multilayered historical tale of remembrance, accountability and the role stories play in peoples lives is a powerful one |
| Notes |
Translated from Chinese by Howard Goldblatt |
| Subject |
Zhang, Wei, 1956 November 7- -- Translation into English
|
| SUBJECT |
China -- Social conditions http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85024178 -- Fiction.
http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh99001562
|
| Genre/Form |
Fiction.
|
| Author |
Goldblatt, Howard, 1939-
|
| LC no. |
2008010779 |
| ISBN |
9780061436901 |
|
0061436909 |
|
