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The Four Books
The Four Books: A Novel | Yan Lianke
From master storyteller Yan Lianke, winner of the prestigious Franz Kafka Prize and a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize, The Four Books is a powerful, daring novel of the dog-eat-dog psychology inside a labor camp for intellectuals during Maos Great Leap Forward. A renowned author in China, and among its most censored, Yans mythical, sometimes surreal tale cuts to the bone in its portrayal of the struggle between authoritarian power and mans will to prevail against the darkest odds through camaraderie, love, and faith. In the ninety-ninth district of a sprawling reeducation compound, freethinking artists and academics are detained to strengthen their loyalty to Communist ideologies. Here, the Musician and her lover, the Scholaralong with the Author and the Theologianare forced to carry out grueling physical work and are encouraged to inform on each other for dissident behavior. The prize: winning the chance at freedom. They're overseen by preadolescent supervisor, the Child, who delights in reward systems and excessive punishments. When agricultural and industrial production quotas are raised to an unattainable level, the ninety-ninth district dissolves into lawlessness. And then, as inclement weather and famine set in, they are abandoned by the regime and left alone to survive.
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MelissaSue81
Four Books | Yan Lianke
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Okay! Here are my Books for #BookaWeekChallenge hosted by @TheReadingMermaid . Two library books, a netgalley ARC that I started the other day but got distracted from, and one that‘s hanging out on my kindle.

Bklover Oooh, let me know how you like My Dear Hamilton! 6y
KarouBlue My Dear Hamilton was excellent 😉 ❤️ 6y
60 likes2 comments
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Traci1
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Progress in my #4in48readathon. I've now completed 3 of the 4 but still haven't started Bees. I do plan to start it, but I don't see myself finishing it mostly because it's not something I think I'm going to want to try to rush through. Probably should have selected a different title for that slot. Oh well.

@Syndelle777

wanderinglynn Congrats! Reading 3 books in less that 48 hrs is fantastic! 🎉👏🏻🙌🏻 6y
107 likes1 comment
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Traci1
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My progress on #4in48readathon @Syndelle777

1. Feast of the Drowned: COMPLETE
2. Sin Eaters: COMPLETE
3. A Question of Murder: 30%
4. Secret Life of Bees: 0%

I gave up on I Love You, You Idiot and replaced it with Sin Eaters (which was great). I'll definitely finish the MSW book, and I'm hopeful I'll be able to finish Bees as well. ☺

tammysue 👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻 6y
kaysworld1 Hello there I was wondering where you got your murder she wrote book im trying to collect them all but failing miserably because there old books. X 6y
BeansPage Woot woot! Doing great! 6y
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Traci1 @kaysworld1 I picked up the ones I own at a used bookshop and at the Friends of the Library book sale. Our library has a sale once a month, and apparently someone who donates to them likes those books because I find a few every so often. Thriftbooks has some of them, and there are still new ones coming out (with a new author as Donald Bain passed away recently). 6y
Traci1 @Syndelle777 thanks 😊 6y
kaysworld1 I'm having trouble finding any of them oh well I'll keep looking 🤓 6y
Traci1 @kaysworld1 sorry. I don't know if you just want to read them or want to own them, but I know my library has all of the ebooks on Overdrive (Libby). I've read some of the ones I don't have that way. 6y
Vertabrain The Secret Life of Bees is such a beautiful book, and her more recent novel, The Invention of Wings, is an absolute favorite. If you like Bees, you should definitely check it out. Have fun! 😍 6y
kaysworld1 @Traci1 I'm a huge fan of Jessica Fletcher stuff so I was planning on collecting them 😃 6y
87 likes9 comments
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Cosyreader
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Here are my 4 books for the #4in48readathon - yes I cheated and picked short books but I‘ve got a family bbq tomorrow. I may have to start at midnight 📚🧟‍♀️

BeansPage There's no cheating with short books as long as they are books! ❤️ Your selections! Remember to update us throughout the weekend on your progress 😃 6y
Cosyreader @Syndelle777 will do 😄! 6y
tammysue 👍🏻😊 6y
60 likes3 comments
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Traci1
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@Syndelle777 is hosting a #4in48readathon this weekend. We're selecting 4 books to read over the course of May 5th and 6th. I haven't completely made up my mind on which books I'm going to attempt to finish, but I've got it narrowed down.

BeansPage Lol it's a toughie but don't be shy! 6y
63 likes1 comment
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MariettaSG
Pickpick

A fascinating novel about the Chinese Revolution, the terrible famine and the “Great Leap Forward”, initially quite mild the plot becomes increasingly as dark, as weird and as confrontational as what the intellectuals in “re-education” experienced. Not for the faint hearted as the extremes of hunger push humans to their limits. The concept of authorship is tackled. The reader is challenged to consider what they would do under such conditions.

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MariettaSG
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So similar to Solzhenitsyn‘s The First Circle, I cannot remember the character but the Scholar in this text is similar to the one in TFC who does not allow the punishments to touch his core, he does not allow it to affect his soul nor crush his spirit. The concept of a spirit, a core that each one of us has, that no matter what happens to us it cannot be crushed, not even altered, resonates with me.

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MariettaSG
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This last line encapsulates the book for me, what humans face when their basic need to eat is not met, when their time does not allow pursuit of their personal truth, their passion.

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MariettaSG

“ “If you don‘t plot the fields and smelt steel, that‘s alright,” the Child said. “And if you decide to flee, that‘s okay, too. In other districts, there are people who have been awarded real bullets.” “
Oh the humour!!! 3 pages in.
So clever!
Could be a comparative text for 1984, Stasiland,...

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Simona
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The story is about re-educational Chinese camps in the time of the Great Leap Forward, written in a satirical style. It's hard to read it, but extremely rewarding.

#rockinmay #chinagrove

Cinfhen You lost me at "satirical" ?followed by "hard to read" (edited) 7y
shawnmooney I recognize that book! 😍😍 7y
Simona @Cinfhen But it is worth to try, maybe you'll be positively surprised. 7y
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Simona @shawnmooney It's a nice cover with beautiful content 😘 7y
Laura317 That author's name is almost the same as my daughter's - Yan Lian. Not sure I could stomach that one, although I'd like to try. 7y
Simona @laura317 Give it a try, maybe you will be surprised. It's heavy content, but beautiful written (if you can deal with satire). 7y
77 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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shawnmooney
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How wonderful to receive this surprise parcel of goodies in the mail today from @Simona ! I had sent her a book a few weeks ago that I'd bailed on, but it wasn't supposed to be a trade! ❤️❤️❤️ I love the books of Lianke's I've read so far so this is wonderful. Thank you!!! 💖💖💖

Simona It isn't a trade, it's just the my way to say thank you 🙏😘 7y
shawnmooney @Simona 💜💖💜💖❤️ 7y
LeahBergen 💗💗💗💗 7y
55 likes3 comments
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Simona
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The Four Books is satire about Chinese re-education camps during the Great Leap Forward and the book Explosion Chronicle is satirical/critical look at China todays rapid growth. Lianke's prose is at the same time harsh/brutal and poetical, the stories are painful to read, but always thought provoking.

@LitsyFeministBookClub @BookishFeminist

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Moray_Reads
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Last week I filled my local #indie loyalty card so I went to browse for ONE book to use my £5 discount on. I came away with these three beauties 😓😬

BookishTrish That's my kind of loyalty (edited) 7y
Kalalalatja Lovely photo! 😍 7y
lynneamch ❤📷! 7y
LeahBergen I liked Margaret the First. 7y
Moray_Reads @LeahBergen it was so pretty I couldn't resist 7y
42 likes5 comments
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Kidsilkhaze
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Pickpick

The structure of being excerpts from 4 different texts ultimately felt slightly gimmicky as the narrative ended up being largely straight forward. The story was effective and moving without the superficial framework.

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Kidsilkhaze
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A rare novel fromChina that looks at the Great Famine. Shortlisted for the Man Booker

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CiViiLy
This post contains spoilers
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At the point in #TheFourBooks by Yan Lianke where I am starting to feel queasy. I know it's fictitious but still. The description of the lengths that this man is going to is stomach roiling.

mvblair I know exactly what you mean. I do not read Yan Lianke's books as fictitious allegories. They are so close to the truth of the human condition and the reality of Chinese history. 3y
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CiViiLy
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Really excited to read this. Finally arrived in the mail after a month of waiting. The Great Leap Forward is something in learnt about academically but I'm raring to dive into it from a fictional perspective.

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Simona
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So, tomorrow we will know (winner of the Man Booker International Prize) My is without doubt Lianke.

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Knowledgelost
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Pickpick

This novel blow me away. I don't think I've every read about the Great Leap Forward before and now I need to know more. So many layers to be found in this wonderfully complex book.

MusingsOnMidlife I just got this book today! 8y
Knowledgelost @cook-create-read nice, hope you enjoy it 8y
Brona I've had my eye on this one. I haven't read any Chinese lit for ages - is it really that good? 8y
Knowledgelost @Brona I think so 8y
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Rick_Eaglestone
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Pickpick
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Simona
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Pickpick

Story explore human relations and how morality collapse in extreme, horror circumstances. It is written in satirical style and isn't fun or pleasurable read, but for me was worth to read this book.

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Simona
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1st line... and 2nd book for me from The Man Booker International Prize shortlist.

8 likes1 comment