Boy in the Twilight ― Stories of the Hidden China

From one of China's most celebrated writers: a collection of thirteen audacious and powerful stories that reveal the sorrows, joys, shifts, and constants of everyday life inside this rapidly changing country.

In the masterful hands of Yu Hua, these stories form a timely snapshot of a nation, filled with the deep feeling and inimitable humor that epitomize its people: A shopkeeper confronts a child thief and punishes him without mercy. An awkward young man uses the perks of his government position to court two women at once. A hardworking couple toils all day in factories, only to discover that their college-age son is spending their money on taxi rides. With lucid language and coy wit, each of the stories explores the line between cruelty and warmth on which modern China is—absurdly, joyfully—balanced. Already a sensation in Asia, certain to win recognition around the world, Yu Hua's peerless talent is showcased here in top form.

Yu Hua is the author of five novels, six story collections, and three essay collections. His work has been translated into more than twenty languages. He is the recipient of many awards, including the James Joyce Award, France's Prix Courrier International, and Italy's Premio Grinzane Cavour. Yu Hua lives in Beijing.