Kirjahaku

Fang Fang’s Soft Burial begins with a mysterious, nameless protagonist. Decades earlier she was pulled out of a river in a state of near-death; upon regaining consciousness, she discovered that her entire memory had been erased. The narrative follows her journey through recovery as she takes a job as a housekeeper in the home of a powerful cadre, marries the doctor who saved her, and starts a family of her own. As the story unfolds, the protective cocoon of amnesia that her subconscious wove around her begins to give way, revealing glimpses of her previous life and the unspeakable trauma that she suffered.Soft Burial is one of the most remarkable—and most controversial—recent works of Chinese literature. Part mystery, part historical fiction, and part social exposé, the novel intercuts different generations, regions, and time periods. First published in 2016, Soft Burial initially received critical acclaim but soon faced a wave of denunciations and was taken off the shelves of bookstores throughout China. Fang Fang challenged the unspoken rules that govern how Chinese writers portray the past by depicting the human costs of the Land Reform Campaign in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and she was attacked for expressing sympathy toward members of the “landlord class.” An intimate portrait of historical trauma and the psychological toll of repressed violence, Soft Burial is a landmark in contemporary Chinese fiction.

Fang Fang’s Soft Burial begins with a mysterious, nameless protagonist. Decades earlier she was pulled out of a river in a state of near-death; upon regaining consciousness, she discovered that her entire memory had been erased. The narrative follows her journey through recovery as she takes a job as a housekeeper in the home of a powerful cadre, marries the doctor who saved her, and starts a family of her own. As the story unfolds, the protective cocoon of amnesia that her subconscious wove around her begins to give way, revealing glimpses of her previous life and the unspeakable trauma that she suffered.Soft Burial is one of the most remarkable—and most controversial—recent works of Chinese literature. Part mystery, part historical fiction, and part social exposé, the novel intercuts different generations, regions, and time periods. First published in 2016, Soft Burial initially received critical acclaim but soon faced a wave of denunciations and was taken off the shelves of bookstores throughout China. Fang Fang challenged the unspoken rules that govern how Chinese writers portray the past by depicting the human costs of the Land Reform Campaign in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and she was attacked for expressing sympathy toward members of the “landlord class.” An intimate portrait of historical trauma and the psychological toll of repressed violence, Soft Burial is a landmark in contemporary Chinese fiction.

“She knew that if she didn’t say her piece, that flame would never be extinguished; even after death, it would continue raging.”The Running Flame opens with its protagonist in prison awaiting execution, desperate to give an account of her life. Yingzhi, a girl from the countryside, sees opportunity in the liberal trends sweeping across China. After high school, she joins a song-and-dance troupe, which allows her to travel and opens her eyes to new people and places. But an unplanned pregnancy brings an abrupt end to all her youthful dreams. Trapped in a bad marriage, Yingzhi is driven to desperate measures—and eventually a shocking act of violence.Fang Fang’s explosive short novel inspired widespread social debate in China upon its publication in 2001. In exploring the difficulties of one woman shackled by patriarchal tradition against the backdrop of radical social change, The Running Flame bears witness to widespread experiences of gendered violence and inequality. Fang Fang evocatively captures both the heady feeling of possibility in China’s roaring 1990s and its dark underside, as economic reform unleashed social dislocation in towns and villages. The novel draws loosely from interviews the author conducted with female death row inmates in a Chinese prison. Equal parts social critique and domestic horror, The Running Flame is a gripping, propulsive narrative that shines a light on the struggles of poor women in China’s countryside.

“She knew that if she didn’t say her piece, that flame would never be extinguished; even after death, it would continue raging.”The Running Flame opens with its protagonist in prison awaiting execution, desperate to give an account of her life. Yingzhi, a girl from the countryside, sees opportunity in the liberal trends sweeping across China. After high school, she joins a song-and-dance troupe, which allows her to travel and opens her eyes to new people and places. But an unplanned pregnancy brings an abrupt end to all her youthful dreams. Trapped in a bad marriage, Yingzhi is driven to desperate measures—and eventually a shocking act of violence.Fang Fang’s explosive short novel inspired widespread social debate in China upon its publication in 2001. In exploring the difficulties of one woman shackled by patriarchal tradition against the backdrop of radical social change, The Running Flame bears witness to widespread experiences of gendered violence and inequality. Fang Fang evocatively captures both the heady feeling of possibility in China’s roaring 1990s and its dark underside, as economic reform unleashed social dislocation in towns and villages. The novel draws loosely from interviews the author conducted with female death row inmates in a Chinese prison. Equal parts social critique and domestic horror, The Running Flame is a gripping, propulsive narrative that shines a light on the struggles of poor women in China’s countryside.

In 1926, the walled city of Wuchang, now part of modern-day Wuhan, lay under siege for forty days, and the human cost was devastating. Fang Fangâ??s riveting novel is based on the true story of this cruel battle.

Kun Wuhanin kaupunki tammikuussa 2020 suljettiin koronaepidemian hillitsemiseksi, paikallinen kirjailija Fang Fang ryhtyi kirjoittamaan päiväkirjaa sosiaalisessa mediassa. Monelle päiväkirja oli ainoa tiedonlähde, joka tarjosi sensuroimatonta tietoa kaupunkilaisten arkielämän äkillisestä ja dramaattisesta muutoksesta, kun kaupunki eristettiin ja ruumisarkkujen jonoista tuli jokapäiväinen näky. Omia ajatuksiaan ja läheistensä kokemuksia jakamalla Fang Fang antoi samalla äänen miljoonien karanteeniin joutuneiden wuhanilaisten peloille, turhaumille, suuttumukselle - ja toivolle.Kaunistelemattomat kuvaukset Wuhanin kohtalokkaasta todellisuudesta tai vaatimukset syyllisten saattamisesta vastuuseen eivät olleet kaikkien mieleen. Fang joutui mustamaalauskoneiston maalitauluksi ja hän sai jopa tappouhkauksia. Arvostelu voimistui entisestään, kun päiväkirja koottiin kirjaksi. Kirjailija tuomittiin rahanahneeksi petturiksi, joka halusi pilata Kiinan maineen.Koskettava päiväkirja alkaa kaupungin sulkemisen ensi hetkistä ja loppuu viranomaisten julkistaessa päivämäärän karanteenin päättymiselle. Päiväkirja keräsi lyhyessä ajassa miljoonia lukijoita. Kirjan oikeudet on myyty jo lähes 20 maahan.Fang Fang (oikealta nimeltään Wang Fang, s. 1955) tunnetaan vahvoista siteistään Wuhaniin. Hänen laaja kirjallinen tuotantonsa käsittää muun muassa proosaa, runoutta ja esseitä. Hänelle on myönnetty lukuisia palkintoja, kuten arvostettu Lu Xun -kirjallisuuspalkinto vuonna 2010.