Yu Li: Confessions of an Elevator Operator (Modern Chinese Masters) [Paperback]

Jimmy Qi (Author, Afterword), Harvey Thomlinson (Translator, Commentary)

Book Description

Series: Modern Chinese Masters | Publication Date: September 21, 2009

This hilarious novel is the first title from Make-Do Publishing's Modern Chinese Masters imprint. The main character Yu Li is an inspector at a fake wine distillery in a small town without any tall buildings in Hebei province. After he is fired for drinking the wine during his inspections, Yu Li manages to land another job as an elevator operator in a luxury apartment building in the far-off capital, Beijing. The apartment building is home to the winners in the new China: celebrities, the new rich and big-shot officials. Misadventures abound as Yu Li struggles to adjust to the confusion of city life and, above all, fights to subdue the 'nuclear weapon' in his pants. The new imprint aims to publish fiction from some of China's best contemporary writers, all in great, original translations. In addition to Yu Li: Confessions of an Elevator Operator, this book contains an Author's Afterword, and an essay introducing Jimmy Qi and his work.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Beijing writer Jimmy Qi has published ten books in China. Jimmy's fiction is distinguished by a tolerant but satirical humour. This reflects his belief that the writer should 'write to let people laugh and be happy, but these joys must come from the bitterness of the writer, which makes true humor possible'. At age seven, during the Cultural Revolution, Jimmy accompanied his parents to a cadres reform camp. Later, he spent ten years in what he referred to as the 'Siberia' of Canada, where, bored with his job, he started to write.

Product Details

• Paperback: 84 pages
• Publisher: Make-Do Productions (September 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9881841917
• ISBN-13: 978-9881841919
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,741,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)