The Civil Servant's Notebook

Xiaofang, Wang

ISBN 10: 0670080934 ISBN 13: 9780670080939

Publisher: Penguin Books China, 2013

Synopsis

Devious plots, seduction, blackmail, and bribery are all on the table in a no-holds-barred scramble for political prestige and personal gain. At the center of it all is a notebook, a humble witness to events, but one whose pages contain information they shouldn't. Penned by a former insider, The Civil Servant's Notebook offers a glimpse into the distorted psyches of those who roam the guarded halls of Chinese political power. "Serve the people" is just about the last thing on their minds.

About this title

About the Author:

Wang Xiaofang was private secretary to Shenyang Deputy Mayor Ma Xiangdong from 1997-1999. Ma achieved infamy for gambling and losing millions in public money in Macau's casinos, and was later sentenced to death for his crimes. Wang Xiaofang was found innocent of any involvement and left the service in 1999 to begin a career as political fiction writer. He has published 13 novels of political fiction in China, and his works regularly top the bestseller charts.

Review:

"Wang Xiaofang is the undisputed king of the genre." —the New Yorker

"Money. Power. Even sex, albeit offstage. Wang Xiaofang's novels capture it all – in the dog-eat-dog world of Chinese bureaucracy." —the Guardian

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books China
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0670080934
• ISBN 13: 9780670080939
• Binding: Stationery
• Number of pages: 300