Old Land, New Tales: Twenty Short Stories by Writers of the Shaanxi Region in China

Written by Chen Zhongshi and Jia Pingwa

In this captivating collection from the Shaanxi region, considered the cradle of Chinese civilization, twenty disparate and unique voices come together to show a China caught between new-world advancements and old-world traditions. From the homeland of China’s first dynasty and the world-famous terra-cotta warriors, these tales show rugged rural life colliding with fast-paced city life; hollow arranged marriages juxtaposed with torrid forbidden love affairs; and the vanity of newly minted millionaires clashing with the desperation of the poor. Through the eyes of award-winning authors, we see a changing China—from the Cultural Revolution to the country’s infamous one-child policy—giving us a profound look at the evolution of a land that is at once ancient and modern.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Aug 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491520864

Chen Zhongshi

Chen Zhongshi was born in 1942 in the Baqiao district of Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province. He began writing in 1965. Since 1979, when he joined the Chinese Writers Association, he has published nine novellas, over eighty short stories, and more than fifty pieces of reportage, prose, and essays. He has published collections of short stories, including The Village and Going Back to the Old Poplar; literary criticism collected as My Creation Experience; a collection of essays; and several collections of novellas and novels, including Early Summer and Fourth Younger Sister. Chen Zhongshi’s short story “Trust” was awarded the National Outstanding Works prize in 1979. In the years since, his novels and other works have won many awards, including the Contemporary Literature Prize, the National Reportage Prize, the Shaanxi Double-Five Literature Prize, and the Mao Dun Literature Award. His piece “A Willow on Qinghai Plateau” was included in one of China’s primary literature textbooks.

Reviews for Old Land, New Tales

[jak910717 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy of Old Land, New Tales via a Goodreads giveaway. I extend my thanks for the opportunity provided by the Goodreads giveaway.I like that the book included a brief bio for each author. They are all impressively credentialed, and gifted writers. If you would like to learn something about the Shaanxi region of China, I think this is a must read. The writing is excellent, and each story has at least one unique facet about the Shaanxi culture.