The Republic of Wine: A Novel

Inthis hypnotic epic novel, Mo Yan, the most critically acclaimed Chinese writerof this generation, takes us on a journey to a conjured province of contemporaryChina known as the Republic of Wine-a corrupt and hallucinatory world filledwith superstitions, gargantuan appetites, and surrealistic events. When rumorsreach the authorities that strange and excessive gourmandise is being practicedin the city of Liquorland (so named for the staggering amount of alcoholproduced and consumed there), veteran special investigator Ding Gou'er isdispatched from the capital to discover the truth. His mission begins at theMount Lou Coal Mine, where he encounters the prime suspect-Deputy Head DiamondJin, legendary for his capacity to hold his liquor. During the ensuing drinkingduel at a banquet served in Ding's honor, the investigator loses all sense ofreality, and can no longer tell whether the roast suckling served is of theanimal or human variety. When he finally wakes up from his stupor, he has stillfound no answers to his rapidly mounting questions. Worse yet, he soon findsthat his trusty gun is missing. Interspersedthroughout the narrative-and Ding's faltering investigation-are letters sent toMo Yan by one Li Yidou, a doctoral candidate in Liquor Studies and an aspiringwriter. Each letter contains a story that Li would like the renowned author'shelp in getting published. However, Li's tales, each more fantastic andmalevolent than the last, soon begin alarmingly to resemble the story of Ding'scontinuing travails in Liquorland. Peopled by extraordinary characters-a dwarf,a scaly demon, a troupe of plump, delectable boys raised in captivity, acookery teacher who primes her students with monstrous recipes-Mo Yan'srevolutionary tour de force reaffirms his reputation as a writer of worldstanding. Wild, bawdy, politically explosive, and subversive, The Republic of Wine is both mesmerizingand exhilarating, proving that no repressive regime can stifle true creativeimagination.