A lightly surreal story of misfortune, menace, and high-end stereo equipment in the cutthroat, capitalistic world of modern China.An NYRB Classics OriginalThe hero of The Invisibility Cloak lives in contemporary Beijing—where everyone is doing their best to hustle up the ladder of success while shouldering an ever-growing burden of consumer goods—and he’s a loser. Well into his forties, he’s divorced (and still doting on his ex), childless, and liv...

Il signor Cui vive nella Pechino contemporanea, città governata da forze più potenti e terribili della malavita, dove imperano l’egoismo, il brutale senso della competizione e la disperata corsa all’arrampicata sociale del capitalismo più sfrenato. Qui tutti fanno del loro meglio per salire la scala del successo; Cui, al contrario, è un perdente. Alle soglie della mezza età, senza figli e con poca iniziativa, divorziato ma ancora innamorato dell’ex moglie che lo ha lasciato per un uomo in ...

Una intriga laberíntica en la China de comienzos del siglo XX, la historia vital de una mujer marcada por el deseo revolucionario, la utopía y sus excesos.En esta extraordinaria novela seguimos la trayectoria vital de Lu Xiumi desde el despertar sexual hasta su muerte, pasando por la adhesión a los ideales revolucionarios y su posterior decepción. Secuestrada en su viaje nupcial y cautiva en una isla, Xiumi será testigo de las lucha...

In this avant garde novella, memory and time are subjective. A writer named Ge Fei retreats to the beautiful solitude of the Waterside to finish his novel inspired by the Revelations of St. John. He perceives ominous and portentous signs in the natural landscape around him, particularly in a flock of brown birds that flies periodically past his window. The arrival of a mysterious woman named Qi magnifies his anxiety and sense of temporal disorientation, calling into question his grasp on r...

A lightly surreal story of misfortune, menace, and high-end stereo equipment in the cutthroat, capitalistic world of modern ChinaThe hero of The Invisibility Cloak lives in contemporary Beijing—where everyone is doing their best to hustle up the ladder of success while shouldering an ever-growing burden of consumer goods—and he’s a loser. Well into his forties, he’s divorced (and still doting on his ex), childless, and living with his sister (her husband wants him out) in an apartm...

An enthralling story of revolution, idealism, and a savage struggle for utopia by one of China's greatest living novelistsIn 1898 reformist intellectuals in China persuaded the young emperor that it was time to transform his sclerotic empire into a prosperous modern state. The Hundred Days’ Reform that followed was a moment of unprecedented change and extraordinary hope—brought to an abrupt end by a bloody military coup. Dashed expectations would contribute to the ...

Tarina epäonnesta, kohtalosta ja huippuluokan äänentoistostaKirjan päähenkilö on eronnut, lapseton ja köyhä mies Pekingissä – kaupungissa, jossa kaikki haluavat menestyä. Hän haikailee ex-vaimonsa perään ja majailee siskonsa omistamassa asunnossa, jonka haljenneesta seinästä pohjoistuuli puhaltaa sisään. Hän tienaa niukan elantonsa rakentamalla huippulaatuisia vahvistimia rikkaille asiakkaille, joita ei voi sietää sen enempää kuin itseäänkään.Eräänä päivänä salaperäinen asi...

It's not easy for a man pushing forty to meet other gay men while living on the outskirts of the Great Xia kingdom. That is, until the perpetually-single Wu Xingzi catches wind of The Peng Society for Gentleman--a top secret club for men to meet each other and perhaps even exchange lewd ink drawings of their personal anatomy via pigeon post. What was once a faraway dream for Wu Xingzi has quickly become his new purpose in life: to collect as many shockingly detailed phallic illustrations a...

Certain he can't compete with the refined Mr. Lu for Guan Shanjin's affections, Wu Xingzi resigns to leave for the capital. Here, Peng Society manager, Rancui, is determined to find him a less complicated romantic prospect. With a stroke of luck, one man stands out: the plain but charming Ping Yifan. Sure, he can't stop thinking about Guan Shanjin and his mighty member, but Ping Yifan's pengornis is just as prodigious!Yet when Wu Xingzi encounters a familiar face from his past, he's forced...

Joining the Peng Society has really turned Wu Xingzi's life on its head! His new lifestyle hasn't just earned him a thrilling collection of phallic illustrations, but also a whirlwind affair with maverick Guan Shanjin, a handsome young general who's relentless both on the battlefield and in the bedroom. When Guan Shanjin whisks him away from the lonely backwater province he's called home, Wu Xingzi braces himself for a wild ride.However, Guan Shanjin seems preoccupied with an old flame, an...

When Guan Shanjin willingly steps behind bars to outmaneuver his political rival, Yan Wenxin, he insists Wu Xingzi stay far away. After all, Yan Wenxin isn't just an enemy--he's the man who shattered Wu Xingzi's heart two decades ago. But Wu Xingzi refuses to sit idly by. He won't rest while the man he loves languishes in jail, especially when his own intimate knowledge of Yan Wenxin may be the key to bringing him down for good. After all, there's only so long Wu Xingzi can stand being dep...