Remembering 1942 and Other Chinese Stories
This collection showcases six of Liu Zhenyun’s best short stories: “Tofu,” “College,” “Office,” “Officials,” “Recruits,” and “Remembering 1942.” Together, they feature a diverse cast of ordinary people struggling against a variety of obstacles—bureaucratic, economic, and personal—that life presents, ranging from an exploration of office politics unmoored by an unexpected gift to the tale of young soldier attempting to acclimate to his new life. The masterful title story explores the legacy of the drought and famine that struck Henan Province in 1942, tracing its echoes in one man’s personal journey through war and revolution and into the present.
Each story is rich in wit, insight, and empathy, and together they bring into focus the realities of China’s past and present, evoking the often Kafkaesque circumstances of contemporary life in the world’s most populous nation.
