To Live

Fiction, Historical, General, War & Military, Cultural HeritageThe book 'To Live' narrates the life stories of a country man called Fu Gui. He was born into a very rich family but he loved gambling. Eventually, he lost all his possessions and became poor. His father died after knowing this, while his mother became seriously ill. Fu Gui went to find a doctor but was forced to join the army on the way. Many years later, after many trials and hardships, Fu Gui went back home and found his mother had passed away while his wife had brought up his son and daughter on her own. Unfortunately, misfortune struck this family again. Fu Gui's wife, son, daughter and grandson died one by one. It was only Fu Gui and an old bull who remained alive. Despite all, Fu Gui was still braver, calmer and more alive than ever.
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From the author of Brothers and China in Ten Words: this celebrated contemporary classic of Chinese literature was also adapted for film by Zhang Yimou. This searing novel, originally banned in China but later named one of that nation’s most influential books, portrays one man’s transformation from the spoiled son of a landlord to a kindhearted peasant. After squandering his family’s fortune in gambling dens and brothels, the young, deeply penitent Fugui settles down to do the honest work of a farmer. Forced by the Nationalist Army to leave behind his family, he witnesses the horrors and privations of the Civil War, only to return years later to face a string of hardships brought on by the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. Left with an ox as the companion of his final years, Fugui stands as a model of gritty authenticity, buoyed by his appreciation for life in this narrative of humbling power.