
Oracle Bones
A Journey Through Time in China
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. . . . .
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- 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
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“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. . . .
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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 History | 56% |
|---|---|
| China Travel | 42% |
| 21st-Century History | 26% |
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)