Chronicle of a Blood Merchant

★ Yu Hua's heartwarming work
The HE version of "To Live," where all protagonists survive. Please read with confidence.
When I finished writing "To Live," I felt that just writing about how Chinese people struggled through those decades wasn't enough. I should also write about how they lived. That's why I wrote "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant." – Yu Hua
★ A critically acclaimed work that has frequently appeared on domestic and international lists
- One of the top ten works of the 1990s selected by 100 Chinese critics
- Ivo Andrić Literary Award (Serbia)
- Literary Translation Award from the Portuguese Writers' Association
- "Adelphius" Bookstore Chain (Turkey) Novel of the Year
- 100 Must-Read Books by Korea's "JoongAng Ilbo"
- 100 Recommended Books by the National Library of Korea
★ A novel that thoroughly depicts the "three views" of Chinese people, showcasing the love and dignity of ordinary individuals
Yu Hua's novels create heroes; his heroes are not gods, but ordinary people. However, they are not ordinary people in the usual sense, but people who slightly deviate from common human nature. For example, Xu Sanguan. It's not about his blood selling itself; selling blood to raise children is common sense. But the child he nurtures with his blood is someone else's son... Yet, he doesn't do it for personal gain, but out of goodness. That's what makes him a hero. He is not a tragic figure, but a comedic one. – Wang Anyi
★ A poignant allegory of contemporary laborers
Xu Sanguan relied on selling his blood throughout his life to exchange or trade for the capital to survive. In the balance of gains and losses, his body became the final gamble, and if things went wrong, he could truly lose everything. – David Wang
★ Media Reviews
"Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" is one of the most exciting narrative works we can read today. It is very different from European literature we read; it lacks narrative features like flashbacks, inner monologues, and psychological descriptions... Yu Hua has preserved this culture, which is very unfamiliar to European readers, and it is precisely this that makes his work extraordinarily precious. – "Frankfurter Rundschau"
While "To Live" possesses an epic grandeur, the story of "Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" is more complex... This work is a rare achievement in literary history... Xu Sanguan not only reflects an era but also the soul of a nation. – "The Seattle Times"
【Synopsis】
"Chronicle of a Blood Merchant" is Yu Hua's novel written after "To Live," telling the story of silk factory worker Xu Sanguan's experiences selling blood. He sells blood to marry, to treat his critically ill son, to respectfully entertain honored guests, to avoid starvation, and for survival. But ultimately, it is for love and the dignity of life.
In the novel, Yu Hua uses humorous and witty ways to create a group of small characters with an intense desire for life, a vivid portrayal of contemporary Chinese people.
I know that China's history and reality nurtured my writing, giving me my body for writing, my hands for writing, and my heartbeat for writing. And literature gave me my eyes for writing, allowing me to see deeper and more enduring things amidst convoluted events and astonishing realities. – Yu Hua

2024-03-01

北京十月文艺出版社

New Classic Culture

285

9787530221570