China in Ten Words

From one of China’s most acclaimed writers, his first work of nonfiction available in English: a unique, intimate look at the Chinese experience over the last thirty years, told through personal stories and astute analysis that sharply illuminate his country’s meteoric transformation. Framed by ten phrases common in the Chinese vernacular—“people,” “leader,” “reading,” “writing,” “Lu Xun” (the name of one of the most influential Chinese writers of the twentieth century), “disparity,” “revolution,” “grassroots,” “copycat,” and “bamboozle”—China in Ten Words reveals as never before the world’s most populous yet misunderstood nation. “Disparity” illustrates the mind-boggling economic gaps that separate Chinese citizens. “Copycat” depicts the escalating trends of piracy and imitation as a creative new form of revolutionary action. And “Bamboozle” describes the increasingly brazen practices of trickery, fraud, and chicanery that are, Yu Hua suggests, becoming a way of life at every level of society. Characterized by Yu Hua’s trademark wit, insight, and courage, China in Ten Words is a refreshingly candid vision of the “Chinese miracle” and all its consequences, from the singularly invaluable perspective of a writer—among China’s most influential—living in China today.