Sound and Silence: My Experience with China and Literature

Yan Lianke is a renowned author who explores the reality of everyday life in contemporary China, comparing his literary project to a blind man carrying a flashlight. He reflects on literary censorship in China and the Chinese state's project of national amnesia. Sound and Silence includes an introduction by translator Carlos Rojas and an afterword by Yan.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 23 April 2024
Publisher: Duke University Press

Yan Lianke is a renowned author of novels, short stories, and essays who delves into the realities of contemporary Chinese life through his provocative and nuanced writing. In his book Sound and Silence, Yan draws a striking comparison between his literary project and that of a blind man carrying a flashlight, highlighting his role in helping others perceive the darkness that surrounds them. Often referred to as China's most censored author, Yan candidly reflects on the state's project of national amnesia, which seeks to suppress memories of past crises and social traumas. Despite the challenges of censorship in China, Yan argues that there is no necessary correlation between censorship and literary quality. In Sound and Silence, Yan also explores the impact of American literature on Chinese literature in the 1980s and 1990s. The book includes an introduction by translator Carlos Rojas and an afterword by Yan himself.

Yan Lianke, a renowned author of novels, short stories, and essays, has gained international recognition for his provocative and nuanced writing that explores the realities of everyday life in contemporary China. In his book Sound and Silence, Yan draws a striking comparison between his literary project and that of a blind man carrying a flashlight, emphasizing his role in helping others perceive the darkness that surrounds them. Often described as China's most censored author, Yan candidly reflects on the state's project of national amnesia, which seeks to suppress memories of past crises and social traumas. Despite the challenges of censorship in China, Yan argues that there is no necessary correlation between censorship and literary quality. In Sound and Silence, Yan also explores the impact of American literature on Chinese literature in the 1980s and 1990s. The book includes an introduction by translator Carlos Rojas and an afterword by Yan himself.

Yan Lianke, a renowned author of novels, short stories, and essays, has gained international recognition for his provocative and nuanced writing that explores the realities of everyday life in contemporary China. In his book Sound and Silence, Yan draws a striking comparison between his literary project and that of a blind man carrying a flashlight, emphasizing his role in helping others perceive the darkness that surrounds them. Often described as China's most censored author, Yan candidly reflects on the state's project of national amnesia, which seeks to suppress memories of past crises and social traumas. Despite the challenges of censorship in China, Yan argues that there is no necessary correlation between censorship and literary quality. In Sound and Silence, Yan also explores the impact of American literature on Chinese literature in the 1980s and 1990s. The book includes an introduction by translator Carlos Rojas and an afterword by Yan himself.

Weight: 294g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478030393