From one of Chinaβs most acclaimed writers, his first work of nonfiction to appear in English: a unique, intimate look at the Chinese experience over the last several decades, told through personal stories and astute analysis that sharply illuminate the countryβs meteoric economic and social transformation.
Framed by ten phrases common in the Chinese vernacularββpeople,β βleader,β βreading,β βwriting,β βLu Xunβ (one of the most influential Chinese writers of the twentieth century), βdisparity,β βrevolution,β βgrassroots,β βcopycat,β and βbamboozleββChina in Ten Words reveals as never before the worldβs most populous yet oft-misunderstood nation. In βDisparity,β for example, Yu Hua illustrates the mind-boggling economic gaps that separate citizens of the country. In βCopycat,β he depicts the escalating trend of piracy and imitation as a creative new form of revolutionary action. And in βBamboozle,β he describes the increasingly brazen practices of trickery, fraud, and chicanery that are, he suggests, becoming a way of life at every level of society.
Characterized by Yu Huaβs trademark wit, insight, and courage, China in Ten Words is a refreshingly candid vision of the βChinese miracleβ and all its consequences, from the singularly invaluable perspective of a writer living in China today.