Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler

Oracle Bones

A Journey Through Time in China

Peter Hessler

HarperCollins · Print & ebook · May 8, 2007

“Hessler has stepped off the treadmill of events-driven journalism to produce one of the most profoundly original books about China since, well, since his first book, River Town. . . . .

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
Human lives bring modern China’s rapid change into view across past and present.
Themes
Modern China's transformation, China's ties to the Western world, Ordinary lives amid change
Pacing
Mixed

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genres: Chinese History and China Travel.

  1. Country DrivingPeter Hessler79% match
  2. River TownPeter Hessler69% match
  3. Other RiversPeter Hessler70% match
  4. Factory GirlsLeslie T. Chang57% match
  5. Things Become Other ThingsCraig Mod51% match

For younger readers: China: Land of Dragons and Emperors, Sweet and Sour, China's Son

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Start with this book

About this book

“Hessler has stepped off the treadmill of events-driven journalism to produce one of the most profoundly original books about China since, well, since his first book, River Town. . . . . Everywhere, the book is shot through with sensitivity, insight, and rollicking good humor too.” —The Economist “Oracle Bones will firmly establish Mr. Hessler as one of the Western world’s most thoughtful writers on modern China. . . .

Continue reading

A page-turner with great insight into Chinese society. . . . A richly humanistic portrayal.” —Wall Street Journal The acclaimed author of River Town offers us a rare portrait, both intimate and epic, of twenty-first century China. A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.

China in Motion

Human lives bring modern China’s rapid change into view across past and present.

Come here for

  • Ordinary lives amid China’s changing ties with the West
  • Ancient history meeting a fast-changing present

Expect

  • Intimate portraits with room for a country-sized perspective
  • A narrative moving between ancient and modern China

Where it sits

Chinese History56%
China Travel42%
21st-Century History26%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Modern Art History (to 1945)
  • Lives in History
  • Ancient History
  • Chinese History
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • 20th-Century History
  • 21st-Century History
  • Civilizations
  • Political Philosophy
Authors
Peter Hessler
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
May 8, 2007
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Modern China's transformation · China's ties to the Western world · Ordinary lives amid change
Reading lane
Modern Art History (to 1945)