Chronicle of a Blood Merchant
Yu Hua · b. 1960 · China
Originally Xu Sanguan Mai Xue Ji (Chinese) · translated by Andrew F. Jones
Why it matters
A worker survives famine and the Cultural Revolution by repeatedly selling his blood to feed his family. Yu Hua's deadpan tragicomedy of endurance: ordinary decency stretched to its breaking point.
At a glance
historical fictiontragedy
Difficulty 3/10fast pace254 pagesSimple, repetitive, folk-tale-like prose despite the grim subject matter.
Where to go next
Yu Hua · 1993To LiveLvl 3Fast paced
Lao She · 1937Rickshaw BoyLvl 3Medium pace
Lu Xun · 1921The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other TalesLvl 5Fast paced
Ding Ling · 1928Miss Sophie's DiaryLvl 4Fast paced
Xiao Hong · 1935The Field of Life and DeathLvl 6Slow burn
Franz Kafka · 1915The MetamorphosisLvl 4Medium pace