White Snake and Other Stories — Geling Yan

Short Fiction. Asian Studies. Translated from the Chinese by Lawrence A. Walker. In this collection of five short stories and one novella, set mostly in China during and after the Cultural Revolution, Geling Yan presents us with the unforgettable characters who have all, in one way or another, left home. Taking as her territory the disorienting space between home and away, Yan charts the unexpected and illuminating transformation of her characters hearts and minds as they find themselves thrust into unlikely intimacy with strangers. [Yan's] stories are very sensuous. One experiences and becomes immersed in her works instead of simply reading them. In my opinion, Geling Yan is the most exquisite fiction writer in the Chinese language today-- Joan Chen. Includes Celestial Bath, the basis for Joan Chen's film Xiu Xiu, The Sent Down Girl. Geling was awarded a Golden Horse in 1998 for her screen adaption.