Someone to Talk To

“Liu Zhenyun’s work enjoys a unique position within the Chinese world, in that not only does he have many, many fans, his works have a distinctive artistic quality that has fascinated and entranced scholars for decades. Beyond their inherent humor and sagacity, his novels also offer a glimpse into the darkness and stillness that characterize the relationship between humans and the world. In this respect, Someone to Talk To is truly Liu’s masterpiece.” - Yan Lianke, author of The Four Books

“Very rarely does one encounter a novel from contemporary China that transcends the mere story, however spectacular or unheard of, and wrestles so deeply and intimately with the structural truth and secrecy of the way things are. A stunning display of the mimetic power of language and narrative, and through masterful arrangement of sentences seeking and connecting with each other, Someone to Talk To invites all of us to rethink the meaning of realism and, for that matter, of literature as such.” - Xudong Zhang, author of Postsocialism and Cultural Politics: China in the Last Decade of the Twentieth Century

(Starred Review) "A chronicle of lives of quiet desperation lived half a world away, understated and thoughtful, cheerless without being morose." - Kirkus Reviews

"Dense with dozens of interwoven narratives of living through pre- and post-Mao China, Liu's scathing and illuminating tome is highly recommended for internationally savvy fans of Mo Yan, Yu Hua, and Yan Lianke." - Terry Hong, Library Journal