Critics' Opinion:
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Published Aug 2010
288 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
In a small village in China, the Wang family has produced seven sisters in its quest to have a boy; three of the sisters emerge as the lead characters in this remarkable novel. From the small-town treachery of the village to the slogans of the Cultural Revolution to the harried pace of city life, Bi Feiyu follows the women as they strive to change the course of their destinies and battle against an 'infinite ocean of people' in a China that does not truly belong to them. Yumi will use her dignity, Yuxiu her powers of seduction, and Yuyang her ambition—all in an effort to take control of their world, their bodies, and their lives.
"Starred Review. Drawn with dispassionate candor, this is a bleak tale of human miseries and of women struggling to survive in a culture that devalues them." - Publishers Weekly
"Bi ...is an award-winning Chinese novelist and screenwriter, but his presumptive efforts to capture the three sisters' deepest thoughts and feelings prove superficial and unconvincing." - Library Journal
"The story and its details might resonate for a Chinese audience - or, for that matter, Western readers well-versed in contemporary history - but it is unlikely to captivate most English-language readers." - Kirkus Reviews
"One of China's best contemporary novelists, Bi Feiyu has created an insightful portrait of China during the past half a century with a tale both epic and intimate. Three Sisters is an important novel." - Yiyun Li, author of A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
This information about Three Sisters was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Bi Feiyu is one of the most respected authors and screenwriters in China today. He was born in 1964 in Xinghua, in the province of Jiangsu. A journalist and poet as well as a novelist, he has been awarded a number of literary prizes, including the Lu Xun Prize for 1995–96. He cowrote the film Shanghai Triad, which was directed by the acclaimed Zhang Yimou. Three Sisters is translated by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin.
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