A profound mystery is at the heart of this magnificent new novel by Yiyun Li, "one of America's best young novelists" ("Newsweek") and the celebrated author of "The Vagrants, "winner of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. Moving back and forth in time, between America today and China in the 1990s, "Kinder Than Solitude" is the story of three people whose lives are changed by a murder one of them may have committed. As one of the three observes, "Even the most innocent person, when cornered, is capable of a heartless crime." ...
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A profound mystery is at the heart of this magnificent new novel by Yiyun Li, "one of America's best young novelists" ("Newsweek") and the celebrated author of "The Vagrants, "winner of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. Moving back and forth in time, between America today and China in the 1990s, "Kinder Than Solitude" is the story of three people whose lives are changed by a murder one of them may have committed. As one of the three observes, "Even the most innocent person, when cornered, is capable of a heartless crime." When Moran, Ruyu, and Boyang were young, they were involved in a mysterious incident in which a friend of theirs was poisoned. Grown up, the three friends are separated by distance and personal estrangement. Moran and Ruyu live in the United States, Boyang in China; all three are haunted by what really happened in their youth, and by doubt about themselves. In California, Ruyu helps a local woman care for her family and home, avoiding entanglements, as she has done all her life. In Wisconsin, Moran visits her ex-husband, whose kindness once overcame her flight into solitude. In Beijing, Boyang struggles to deal with an inability to love, and with the outcome of what happened among the three friends twenty years before. Brilliantly written, a breathtaking page-turner, "Kinder Than Solitude "resonates with provocative observations about human nature and life. In mesmerizing prose, and with profound insight, Yiyun Li unfolds this remarkable story, even as she explores the impact of personality and the past on the shape of a person's present and future. Praise for "Kinder Than Solitude" "This is an exceptional novel, and Yiyun Li has grown into one of our major novelists."--Salman Rushdie "Yiyun Li infuses the traditional form with a fresh, rigorous beauty and a sense of permanence and increasing value.""--"Mona Simpson, author of "My Hollywood" "[A] sleek, powerful novel about the weight of memory, the brunt of loss and the myriad ways the past can crimp the soul . . . Li gives us gifts of gorgeous prose. . . . Rarely are ordinary humans given such eloquent witness."--"The Washington Post" " " "What makes ["Kinder Than Solitude"] so vivid is its humanity. . . . It is an inquiry into how the past scars us, shaping present and future, and some deeds, once committed, can never be undone.""--Los Angeles Times" " " "[Li's] true gift . . . is old-fashioned storytelling [and] a sense that a life, a whole life, can be captured on pages.""--The Boston Globe" " " "A stunning, dark, and beautiful book . . . Yiyun Li writes with characteristic genius."--Paul Harding, author of "Tinkers" and "Enon"
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Seller's Description:
Good. Ships in a BOX from Central Missouri! May not include working access code. Will not include dust jacket. Has used sticker(s) and some writing or highlighting. UPS shipping for most packages, (Priority Mail for AK/HI/APO/PO Boxes).
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Fine in near fine dust jacket. Fine in near fine dust jacket. SIGNED by the author in English and Chinese on the title page (signatures only). 1st edition, 1st printing, complete numberline. Dust jacket has a small scrape on the front panel. Book as new. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 312 p. Audience: General/trade. By the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship-, Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award-, Guardian First Book Award-, Whiting Writers' Award-, California Book Award-, Benjamin H. Danks Award-, and Penn-Faulkner Prize-winning author of 'A Thousand Years of Good Prayers' and 'The Vagrants'. Where possible, all books come with dust jacket in a protective mylar sleeve, sealed in a ziplock bag, wrapped in bubble wrap, shipped in a box.
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Missing Dust Cover-Pages and hard cover are intact. Used book in good conditions. Limited notes and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on corners and edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. Ships directly from Amazon.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
