{"title":"Fang Fang","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFang Fang\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts deeply moving narratives that explore the complexities of human relationships and the quiet struggles within everyday life. Her stories, such as \u003cem\u003eSoft Burial\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Running Flame\u003c\/em\u003e, offer vivid portraits of characters navigating personal and societal challenges with nuance and emotional depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect poignant reflections on resilience, loss, and hope, woven through richly descriptive prose. Fang Fang's work invites contemplation on the intimate moments that shape our experience, making her collection essential for lovers of thoughtful general fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"soft-burial-by-fang-fang-9780231214995","title":"Soft Burial","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSoft Burial\u003c\/em\u003e by Fang Fang begins with a mysterious, nameless protagonist. Decades earlier, she was pulled out of a river in a state of near-death; upon regaining consciousness, she discovered that her entire memory had been erased.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative follows her journey through recovery as she takes a job as a housekeeper in the home of a powerful cadre, marries the doctor who saved her, and starts a family of her own. As the story unfolds, the protective cocoon of amnesia that her subconscious wove around her begins to give way, revealing glimpses of her previous life and the unspeakable trauma that she suffered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSoft Burial\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the most remarkable—and most controversial—recent works of Chinese literature. Part mystery, part historical fiction, and part social exposé, the novel intercuts different generations, regions, and time periods. First published in 2016, \u003cem\u003eSoft Burial\u003c\/em\u003e initially received critical acclaim but soon faced a wave of denunciations and was taken off the shelves of bookstores throughout China.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFang Fang challenged the unspoken rules that govern how Chinese writers portray the past by depicting the human costs of the Land Reform Campaign in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and she was attacked for expressing sympathy toward members of the \"landlord class.\" An intimate portrait of historical trauma and the psychological toll of repressed violence, \u003cem\u003eSoft Burial\u003c\/em\u003e is a landmark in contemporary Chinese fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853300125932,"sku":"9780231214995","price":47.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8206653482270.jpg?v=1759195859"},{"product_id":"the-running-flame-by-fang-fang-9780231215015","title":"The Running Flame","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"She knew that if she didn't say her piece, that flame would never be extinguished; even after death, it would continue raging.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Running Flame\u003c\/em\u003e opens with its protagonist in prison awaiting execution, desperate to give an account of her life. Yingzhi, a girl from the countryside, sees opportunity in the liberal trends sweeping across China. After high school, she joins a song-and-dance troupe, which allows her to travel and opens her eyes to new people and places. However, an unplanned pregnancy brings an abrupt end to all her youthful dreams. Trapped in a bad marriage, Yingzhi is driven to desperate measures—and eventually a shocking act of violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFang Fang's explosive short novel inspired widespread social debate in China upon its publication in 2001. In exploring the difficulties of one woman shackled by patriarchal tradition against the backdrop of radical social change, \u003cem\u003eThe Running Flame\u003c\/em\u003e bears witness to widespread experiences of gendered violence and inequality. Fang Fang evocatively captures both the heady feeling of possibility in China's roaring 1990s and its dark underside, as economic reform unleashed social dislocation in towns and villages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe novel draws loosely from interviews the author conducted with female death row inmates in a Chinese prison. Equal parts social critique and domestic horror, \u003cem\u003eThe Running Flame\u003c\/em\u003e is a gripping, propulsive narrative that shines a light on the struggles of poor women in China's countryside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471827058924,"sku":"9780231215015","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/721a114e45be90883dbb93cbf66d0907.jpg?v=1775694244"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/fang-fang.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}