To live
Subtitle: a novel
By: Yu Hua ; translated and with an afterword by Michael Berry
Contributors: Berry, Michael, 1974-
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: 2003
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 250
ISBN-13: 9781400031863
Subjects: Fiction; History
Work titles: Huo zhe
Description: An award-winning, internationally acclaimed Chinese bestseller, originally banned in China but recently named one of the last decade's ten most influential books there," "To Live tells the epic story of one man's transformation from the spoiled son of a rich landlord to an honorable and kindhearted peasant. After squandering his family's fortune in gambling dens and brothels, the young, deeply penitent Fugui settles down to do the honest work of a farmer. Forced by the Nationalist Army to leave behind his family, he witnesses the horrors and privations of the Civil War, only to return years later to face a string of hardships brought on by the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. Left with an ox as the companion of his final years, Fugui stands as a model of flinty authenticity, buoyed by his appreciation for life in this narrative of humbling power.