Oracle Bones - by Peter Hessler (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"Hessler has stepped off the treadmill of events-driven journalism to produce one of the most profoundly original books about China since, well, since his first book, River Town. . . . . Everywhere, the book is shot through with sensitivity, insight, and rollicking good humor too." --The Economist

"Oracle Bones will firmly establish Mr. Hessler as one of the Western world's most thoughtful writers on modern China. . . . A page-turner with great insight into Chinese society. . . . A richly humanistic portrayal." --Wall Street Journal

The acclaimed author of River Town offers us a rare portrait, both intimate and epic, of twenty-first century China.

A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.

From the Back Cover

A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.

Review Quotes

"A remarkable travelogue documenting aspects of a country still little understood." -- Kirkus (starred review)

"Everyone in the Western world should read this book." -- Publishers Weekly, (starred review)

"Hessler has written a fascinating and frequently moving account of life in modern China." -- Booklist

"A brilliant observer with a novelist's ear for character and dialogue, Hessler is both fascinating and funny." -- Entertainment Weekly

"Wonderful. . . . Intimate. . . . The book reads like a really good novel." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Insightful. . . . Hessler is a wry and witty writer who manages to bring humor even to tense situations." -- Christian Science Monitor

"Engaging. . . . Acutely observed, moving, frequently funny and a perspicacious X-ray of China's zeitgeist." -- South China Morning Post

"An extraordinary, genre-defying book. . . . Beautifully constructed. . . . Hessler's reportage is vivid." -- Nigel Richardson, The Daily Telegraph