Li Er, whose innovative works of fiction have earned the admiration of scholars and criticsand a passionate fan base of readersis one of Chinas most prominent writers. This landmark publication of his Coloratura, a tour de force of literary innovation, marks the first translation of the authors novels into English. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Chinese Civil War, Coloratura revolves around the mysterious Ge Ren, whose story is told by three narrators and a host of other voices. Who was Ge Ren really? Just about the only thing anyone can agree on is that he is dead. But how he died, and who he was when alive, are less than certain. Was Ge Ren a hero, a Nationalist or Communist, a poet, translator, scholar, or spyor some combination of all these identities? And how much of his story is merely fanciful coloratura nonsense? As different factions fight for control of China, Ge Ren traverses the political and intellectual life of the country, managing to affect countless lives. Years later, in the present day, his final surviving descendant, the intriguing compiler of the novel, pieces together the stories of her enigmatic ancestor from a patchwork of narrators, reliable or otherwise, and historical documents, real or invented. But readers also will wonder if she has an agenda of her own. The search for Ge Ren takes us from Chairman Maos stronghold at Yanan to a barren Peoples Commune, and then farther afield, with excursions into Russia, Japan, and even a small...

Binding: Paperback;306 pages; Publisher: Longleaf Services on behalf of University of Oklah; Classification: N/A; Weight: 572.68 g; Dimensions: N/A

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