The Shaanxi Opera: A Novel

Jia Pingwa's novel The Shaanxi Opera is a masterful exploration of modernity, tradition, love, obsession, and economic change in post-Cultural Revolution China. Set in the fading village of Freshwind, the story follows the Bais, once the most powerful family, and the Xias, enthusiastic Party members, as their fates intertwine. Spark, an outcast, is consumed by his love for Snow Bai, a symbol of tradition. The novel is expansive, funny, monumental, and deeply poignant, offering a keenly observant portrait of China in an era of globalization and societal upheaval.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 716 pages
Publication date: 23 May 2023
Publisher: Amazon Publishing

Winner of the Mao Dun Literature Prize, Jia Pingwa's novel The Shaanxi Opera is a masterful exploration of modernity, tradition, love, obsession, and economic change set against the backdrop of rapidly urbanizing China. In the fading village of Freshwind, the fates of two households, the Bais and the Xias, are intertwined. The Bais, once the most powerful family in the region, have fallen from grace, while the Xias, enthusiastic members of the Party, are on the rise. Their favorite son, Wind Xia, is a citified politician whose marriage to Snow Bai, the beautiful daughter of the Bais, could unite the two families. However, in a village searching for a new path to prosperity, fortunes can change unexpectedly.

At the center of this unfolding drama is Spark, a local outcast with a peculiar nature and a relentless love for Snow Bai. Obsessed with her, he witnesses the transformation of the village and the shifting dynamics between the two families. Jia Pingwa's novel is expansive, funny, monumental, and deeply poignant, offering a keenly observant portrait of China in an era of globalization, societal upheaval, and the growing influence of popular culture.

Through the characters of Snow Bai, Wind Xia, and Spark, Jia Pingwa explores the complexities of tradition and modernity, the clash between old values and new aspirations, and the search for identity and belonging in a rapidly changing world. The Shaanxi Opera is a testament to Jia Pingwa's talent as a writer and his ability to capture the essence of a society in transition.

Weight: 854g
Dimension: 154 x 234 x 53 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781542016872