Told through the eyes of Xiao, a young boy killed by his family's neighbours, this is the tragic and shocking story of the blood-contamination scandal in China's Henan province. Villagers, coerced into selling vast quantities of blood for money, are infected with the AIDS virus when they're injected with plasma to prevent the onset of anaemia. Whole villages are wiped out as the sickness spreads, but no one takes responsibility for the epidemic and nothing is done to care for those left behind. As Xiao tells of the fate of his village, his family is torn apart by suspicion and retribution. This searing novel relates the tragedy of one village among many and the absurdity of a situation caused and perpetuated by the Chinese government. With black humour and biting satire, Yan Lianke's novel is a powerful allegory of the moral vacuum at the heart of Communist China, tracing the relentless destruction of a community.
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Imprint: Vintage
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Published: 02/12/2021
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ISBN: 9781529113921
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Length: 352 Pages
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RRP: £9.99
Reviews
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The defining work of his career; not just an elegantly crafted piece of literature but a devastating critique of China’s runaway development
Guardian
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His lyricism of despair, full of frenzied life, even when there is foam on lips, gives this novel of Yan Lianke its atrocious grace
Le Monde
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A sorrowful but captivating novel about the price of progress in modern China. The book, which was censored in that country, builds to an act of violence that resonates with the impact of Greek tragedy or Shakespearean drama
Kirkus Reviews
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One of China's greatest living authors and fiercest satirists
Guardian
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Yan Lianke denounces an alarming situation...his novel is a true revelation
Rolling Stone
