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Yiyun Li
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A Thousand Years Of Good Prayers Paperback – 1 February 2007

by Yiyun Li (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 319 ratings

Brilliant and original, ‘A Thousand Years of Good Prayers’ introduces a remarkable first collection of stories about China from an author set to become a major literary talent.


In this extraordinary first collection, Yiyun Li brings us a modern China facing up to a complex history of repression and guilt. In 'Immortality', winner of the Paris Review prize, a young man bears a striking resemblance to the dictator, and so finds a strange kind of calling. In 'Extra', first published in the New Yorker, a Chinese woman, alone in middle age, befriends a young boy who has become an outcast in a remote country school. In their friendship, we see how love can begin to overcome the strictures that dominate their lives.

In turn horrifying and breathtakingly lyrical, Yiyun Li, a new and talented young Chinese writer, confronts the silence that dominated the history of her country, and illuminates how mythology, politics, history and culture intersect with personality. She leaves us with an enduring vision of a country undergoing tremendous change.

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  1. ISBN-10
    0007196636
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0007196630
  3. Publisher
    Harper Perennial GB
  4. Publication date
    1 February 2007
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    12.7 x 1.6 x 19.9 cm
  7. Print length
    254 pages
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Review

‘Li’s writing is beautifully spare and controlled.’ The Times

'Yiyun's confidence as a storyteller lends her fiction a traditional air, but there's nothing old fashioned about her perspective…When I've sampled other recent Chinese writing, I've had a sense of western publishers being seduced by the novelty of it all, snapping up authors with dramatic histories and slim talents. Yiyun is the real deal…Yiyun has the talent, the vision and the respect for life's insoluble mysteries to be a truly fine writer. Michel Faber, Guardian

'Great narrative skill…demonstrates that the best way to learn about people in a foreign culture is through good fiction.’ Irish Times

'Li has a remarkable talent for telling the story of the whole of China through apparently insignificant lives.' New Statesman

'These mesmerising stories present a glimpse of modern China more nuanced than any reporter could ever hop to gleam.' Daily Mail

‘Li's moving, engrossing stories are particular in their place…but universal in their themes and their relevance.’ The Observer

'If you have ever wondered what life is like in modern China, but can't afford the airfare and lessons in Mandarin, you should read this book. In fact if you haven't given China a second thought, this is a collection of stories worth reading.’ Impac News

About the Author

Yiyun Li grew up in Beijing, China, and came to the United States in 1996. She is the recipient of several prizes for her writing and an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Li’s stories have been published in the New Yorker, the Paris Review and elsewhere. She lives in Iowa City, USA, with her husband and their two sons.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0007196636
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial GB (1 February 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 254 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780007196630
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007196630
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 1.6 x 19.9 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 319 ratings

About the author

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Yiyun Li

Yiyun Li

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Yiyun Li is the author of ten books, including The Book of Goose, which received the PEN/Faulkner Award; Where Reasons End, which received the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award; the essay collection Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life; and the novels The Vagrants and Must I Go. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, and Windham-Campbell Prize, PEN/Malamud Award, PEN/Hemingway Award, among other honors. A contributing editor to A Public Space, she teaches at Princeton University.

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4.3 out of 5 stars
319 global ratings

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Top reviews from other countries

  • Guillaume
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
    Reviewed in Canada on 20 February 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Good book, great authors. I love how the Chinese and American cultures are portrayed. The characters are different from what we are used to.
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  • satoko
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story-Telling in Simple Words
    Reviewed in Japan on 11 October 2014
    Verified Purchase
    どれも物悲しい物語なのに、暗い気持ちにはならず、それでも人々が生きていくことに仄かな希望を感じる短編集。淡々とかざらない言葉で綴られているのに、登場人物の感情が生々しく、鋭く、ナイフのように胸に刺さる感じがする。著者の他の作品も読んでみたい。

    Collection of sad stories that does not make one depressing to read; instead, there is a glimpse of hope in each of these stories. The words used are simple with little ornamentation, yet very effective in feeling the characters emotions that these words cuts you like a sharp knife. Looking forward to read more of her works.
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  • Kimberly Fujioka
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent high quality literature. Very surprised how much I enjoyed the stories.
    Reviewed in the United States on 23 January 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent literature. High quality! Stories are emotionally deep, not superficial. First time reading this author. Enjoyed it very much!
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  • Jim Scooby
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Day Mythical Masterpiece
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 July 2007
    Verified Purchase
    This collection of short stories based in China captures invaluable insights into 20th century Chinese traditions and every day way of life there. Li's narrative style adds a sort of mythical tone to the stories, as one might have expected ancient Chinese myths to be told. The way that Li focuses on the development of human feelings within Communist China really magnifies the effect that a Totalitarian regime can have on a human mind. The stories act as a kind of historical insight into China over the last 100 years but also act as an analysis on human behaviour in general and how people act and cope under extreme situations.
    I absolutely loved the style of this book and how it allows your imagination to explore powerful, and at times surreal, situations. A great book!
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  • Shannon
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely short story collection
    Reviewed in the United States on 23 January 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first title from this author I read, and there is something about her writing that's find just so lovely and soothing to read, even when the story itself is heartbreaking. The prose is quiet but it sticks with you. I am a huge lover of short story collections and this is a wonderful example of a truly incredible art form.
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