Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China (P.S. Series)
A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is...
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A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes. Entertainment Weekly “A brilliant observer with a novelist’s ear for character and dialogue, Hessler is both fascinating and funny.”
Author's Note xiPart 1The Underground City 3The Middleman 9The Written World 33The Voice of America 37The Broken Bridge 57The Wall 75The Overnight City 77Part 2Starch 101Hollywood 114The Voice of the Turtle 135At Night You're Not Lonely 149Immigration 169The Courtyard 174The Bronze Head 189Anniversary 199Sichuanese 203Part 3The Book 221Asylum 231The Uncracked Bone 243The Games 259Sand 275The Word 289Translation 295Flags 306Straight to Video 310The Horse 325Wonton Western 335Election 352Part 4Chinatown 369The Criticism 383State Visit 393The Lost Alphabets 401Encapsulate Prime 419The Misprinted Character 431Patton's Tomb 437The Sold Words 443Tea 451Sources 459Acknowledgments 469Index 473
\ From Barnes & NobleWith 1.4 billion inhabitants and radical disparities between its urban rich and rural poor, China defies facile generalization. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler, the Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker, tells the story of this burgeoning subcontinent through the lives of migrants, emigrants, and wanderers. In supple, lyrical prose, he renders human dimensions of this great nation in flux.\ \ \ \ \ Nigel Richardson"An extraordinary, genre-defying book. . . . Beautifully constructed. . . . Hessler’s reportage is vivid."\ \ \ Entertainment Weekly"A brilliant observer with a novelist’s ear for character and dialogue, Hessler is both fascinating and funny."\ \ \ \ \ Booklist"Hessler has written a fascinating and frequently moving account of life in modern China."\ \ \ \ \ Minneapolis Star Tribune"Wonderful. . . . Intimate. . . . The book reads like a really good novel."\ \ \ \ \ Christian Science Monitor"Insightful. . . . Hessler is a wry and witty writer who manages to bring humor even to tense situations."\ \ \ \ \ South China Morning Post"Engaging. . . . Acutely observed, moving, frequently funny and a perspicacious X-ray of China’s zeitgeist."\ \ \ \ \ Entertainment Weekly“A brilliant observer with a novelist’s ear for character and dialogue, Hessler is both fascinating and funny.”\ \ \ \ \ Booklist“Hessler has written a fascinating and frequently moving account of life in modern China.”\ \ \ \ \ Minneapolis Star Tribune“Wonderful. . . . Intimate. . . . The book reads like a really good novel.”\ \ \ \ \ Christian Science Monitor“Insightful. . . . Hessler is a wry and witty writer who manages to bring humor even to tense situations.”\ \ \ \ \ South China Morning Post“Engaging. . . . Acutely observed, moving, frequently funny and a perspicacious X-ray of China’s zeitgeist.”\ \
