Mo, Yan.

Collection of three Books. One Hardcover titled Pow! Two Softcovers, Sandalwood Death and The Republic of Wine. Mo Yan ; translated by Howard Goldblatt.

London, Seagull Books, c. 2012 – 2013. 24 cm. c. 1000 pages. One Original Hardcover and two Softcovers. Secondhand book in very good condition.

Book 1: A benign old monk listens to a prospective novice’s tale of depravity, violence, and carnivorous excess while a nice little family drama – in which nearly everyone dies – unfurls. But in this tale of sharp hatchets, bad water, and a rusty WWII mortar, we can’t help but laugh. Reminiscent of the novels of dark masters of European absurdism like Gunter Grass, Witold Gombrowicz, or Jakov Lind, Mo Yan’s “Pow!” is a comic masterpiece. In this bizarre romp through the Chinese countryside, the author treats us to a cornucopia of cooked animal flesh – ostrich, camel, donkey, and dog, as well as the more common varieties. As his dual narratives merge and feather into one another, each informing and illuminating the other, Yan probes the character and lifestyle of modern China. Displaying his many talents as fabulist, storyteller, scatologist, master of allusion and cliche, and more, “Pow!” carries the reader along quickly, hungrily, and giddily, up until its surprising denouement. Yan has been called one of the great novelists of modern Chinese literature, and the “New York Times Book Review” has hailed his work as harsh and gritty, raunchy and funny. He writes big, sometimes mystifying, sometimes infuriating, but always entertaining novels – and “Pow!” is no exception.
Book 2: Sometimes called “The Chivington Massacre” by those who would emphasize his responsibility for the attack and “The Battle of Sand Creek” by those who would imply that it was not a massacre, this event has become one of our nation’s most controversial Indian conflicts. The subject of army and Congressional investigations and inquiries, a matter of vigorous newspaper debates, the object of much oratory and writing biased in both directions, the Sand Creek Massacre very likely will never be completely and satisfactorily resolved.This account of the massacre investigates the historical events leading to the battle, tracing the growth of the Indian-white conflict in Colorado Territory. The author has shown the way in which the discontent stemming from the treaty of Fort Wise, the depredations committed by the Cheyennes and Arapahoes prior to the massacre, and the desire of some of the commanding officers for a bloody victory against the Indians laid the groundwork for the battle at Sand Creek.
Book 3: Mo Yan takes us on a journey to a conjured province of contemporary China known as the Republic of Wine – a corrupt and hallucinatory world filled with superstitions, gargantuan appetites, and surrealistic events. When rumors reach the authorities that strange and excessive gourmandise is being practiced in the city of Liquorland (so named for the staggering amount of alcohol produced and consumed there),veteran special investigator Ding Gou’er is dispatched from the capital to discover the truth. (Publishers information).

• Language: English
• ISBN: 0857420763
• Inventory Number: 400173AB

EUR 55,--