This volume of nine examples of modern fiction is one of the few devoted
to the art of the novella. Able to go into more detailed storytelling
beyond the short story, but shorter than full novels, these talented and
award-winning writers give a full and accurate description of life in
China today, where the society has many contradictions. These stories
illuminate some of the problems and opportunities for the Chinese
people.
The stories cover a lot of ground: small, rural areas and their issues
(Nuo Masks, Far Away, Kongse Forest Bathhouse), sex, love, and romance
(Vertigo, Night of Beasts, Past in the Wind), aging (Father), old
and new traditions (Terra Flavausta), and work, luxury, and social
obligations (The Accident).