Land of Big Numbers
by Te-Ping Chen
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Pub Date 1 Mar 2021 | Archive Date 28 Feb 2021
Simon and Schuster UK | Scribner UK
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Description
A BARACK OBAMA READING LIST SELECTION FOR SUMMER 2021
‘In this magnificent collection of stories, the author vividly captures the desires and losses of a richly drawn cast while drawing on the realities of contemporary China’? Cosmopolitan
A brother competes for gaming glory while his twin sister exposes the dark side of the Communist government on her underground blog; a worker at a government call centre is alarmed one day to find herself speaking to a former lover; a delicious new fruit arrives at the neighbourhood market and the locals find it starts to affect their lives in ways they could never have imagined; and a young woman's dreams of making it big in Shanghai are stalled when she finds herself working as a florist.
These are just some of the myriad lives to be evoked in The Land of Big Numbers, a collection of stories which - sometimes playfully, sometimes darkly - draws back the curtain on the realities of modern China and unveils a cast of characters as rich and complicated as any in world literature. With virtuosic brilliance, Te-ping Chen sheds light on a country much talked about but little understood and announces the birth of a bright new star in the literary firmament.
Praise for Land of Big Numbers
‘A spectacular work, comic, timely, profound. Te-Ping Chen has a superb eye for detail in a China where transformation occurs simultaneously too fast and too slow for lives in pursuit of meaning in a brave new world. Her characters are achingly alive. It’s rare to read a collection so satisfying, where every story adds to a gripping and intricate world.’ Madeleine Thien, author of the Booker-shortlisted Do Not Say We Have Nothing
‘Te-Ping Chen’s Land of Big Numbers contains 10 illuminating, sharp stories set in China, penned by a former investigative reporter who worked in Beijing for several years’ The Independent
'China’s borders have remained closed to foreign travellers since the first few months of the Covid pandemic, and look set to remain so in the immediate future. For those who want a peek inside the country, this very readable collection of short stories is a great place to start.' Financial Times
‘Te-Ping Chen shows us how much life, loss, and quiet pleasure exists in the world, just out of view.’ Alexandra Kleeman, author of You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781471190599 |
| PRICE | US$20.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 256 |
Links
Featured Reviews
Jennifer D, Reviewer
This book is a collection of 10 short stories based in China or it's former citizens.
I was extremely impressed with the writing style and the diversity of the stories. No two were alike. I especially liked the opposing views of the different generations.
I definitely recommend this collection and look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley uk and Simon and Schuster uk for an arc copy of this ebook.
Paromjit H, Reviewer
Te-Ping Chen writes an outstanding and multilayered collection of short stories that provide insights into the most populous nation on earth, modern China, its history, culture, social and political aspects. Beautifully written, painting with broad brushstrokes, she gives us a picture of flawed individuals in the richly diverse, wide ranging tales that show the contemporary Chinese realities, the personal and the political, and deploys elements of magical realism. We have a created strange and fantastical fruit, experienced differently but positively by people, until this changes. We have twins, a brother and sister, taking different paths and approaches to their lives, with the brother getting concerned about her political activism and her posts on social media. A woman leaves her home, escaping her boyfriend, to chase her dreams, only to end up in a call centre, with the boyfriend tracking her down.
The Land of Big Numbers illustrates the complex relationship between people, their dreams, hopes and desires, with a controlling government. The stand out story for me was the madness represented by the offbeat Gubeiko Spirit, where a group of people are trapped in a station, thanks to government regulations. The author captures the daily lives, the melodrama, the resilience, the limitations and progress experienced by those who live in China, underlining the universality of being human and all that connects us. There is the desperation, pain, disappointment, and the battle to survive, and the historical hardships and poverty. This is an illuminating and thought provoking collection of short stories that I loved, the only reason it gets 4 stars is that some of the stories left me wanting more. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
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