Heart Sutra

Yan Lianke, China's most controversial novelist, returns with a campus novel like no other, following a young Buddhist as she journeys through worldly temptation. The university is populated by every faith in China, and Yahui is a young Buddhist who struggles to resist the daily temptation to return to secular life and abandon her ascetic ideals. When she meets a Daoist student called Mingzheng, an inexorable romance of mythic proportions takes hold of her. This novel reflects our own questions and struggles right back at us.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 16 March 2023
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Yan Lianke, a multi-prizewinning and internationally acclaimed novelist from China, has returned with a novel that defies convention and explores the complexities of faith and temptation. Set on a university campus, the story follows Yahui, a young Buddhist who navigates a world filled with diverse religious beliefs and practices. Buddhists, Daoists, Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims coexist alongside one another, their deities never far from the classroom. Yahui's days are filled with intricate religious papercuts, intense tug-of-war competitions between the faiths, and the constant struggle to uphold her ascetic ideals.

However, when she meets Mingzheng, a Daoist student, an inexorable romance unfolds, drawing her into a world of myth and magic. In this profoundly otherworldly novel, Yan Lianke remakes the campus novel in his signature visionary fashion, dropping readers into an allegorical world that reflects our own questions and struggles.

The novel is beautifully illustrated throughout with original papercuts that add to the immersive experience. Yan Lianke is widely regarded as one of China's greatest living authors, and his talent cannot be ignored. The Guardian has praised him as "one of China's foremost literary satirists," while the New York Times has described him as "China's foremost literary satirist." The Financial Times has hailed him as "China's foremost literary satirist."

This novel is a must-read for anyone who seeks to explore the depths of faith, temptation, and the human condition. It is a testament to Yan Lianke's exceptional writing and his ability to create characters that are both relatable and unforgettable.

Weight: 496g
Dimension: 217 x 270 x 39 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781784744663