China in Ten Words - Tapa dura

'He succeeds marvellously. China in Ten Words 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 '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' Pico Iyer TIME 'By a raconteur, not an academic... The most powerful and vivid sections reach back to Yu Hua's childhood during the Cultural Revolution... It is a cautionary tale about the risks of subterfuge' New York Times Book Review 'Readers new to China will find this a gripping introduction to the country, one which clashes on every page with the refrain that China is the new superpower before which all must bend the knee' Literary Review 'Moving and elegantly crafted - with an intimate tone and witty prose - Offers [a] rare insight into the cause and effect of China's 'economic miracle', focusing close attention on the citizens of the world's most populous country.' Publishers Weekly Yu Hua offers a humorous, chatty blend of memoir, anecdote and scything critique in this series of essays-and gives a clearer picture of China today than many scholarly tomes ' Metropolis

From one of China's most acclaimed writers, his first work of non-fiction to appear in English: 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. With Yu Hua's wit, insight and courage, 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. Two of the author's novels were named in the Top Ten most influential books of the decade by Wen Hui Bao, Shanghai's biggest newspaper.