Description
In a remote Henan village hollowed out by poverty, a boy’s life becomes a haunting record of how a “plasma economy” can turn neighbors into predators and family bonds into bargaining chips. As the story unfolds through the intimate lens of one household, the rise of a Party-connected son and the ruin of another reveal the human cost of unregulated blood selling—where infection, grief, and betrayal spread alongside the profits that feed them. With steely clarity and lyrical force, Yan Lianke exposes the collapse of rural social order under pressure from corruption, opportunism, and political incentives, making the village’s tragedy a mirror for a rapidly changing nation. Blending moral outrage with compassionate storytelling, this landmark novel is widely regarded as one of Yan Lianke’s most important works, celebrated for its uncompromising critique and unforgettable emotional intensity.
Available Editions
paperback
Penguin Random House
Published Jan 1, 2021
319 pages
ISBN: 9781473584570
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Details
First Published
2011
Language
chi
Translation
From: chi
Content Warnings
No content warnings identified.