Items related to The Devil of Nanking: A Novel
Synopsis
Obsessed by the past, a young Englishwoman arrives in Tokyo to seek a long-lost piece of film footage dating back to the 1937 Nanking Massacre, journeying from the decadent hostess bars and palatial apartments of yakuza kingpins in Tokyo to deep inside the secret history of the massacre in her pursuit of the truth. Reader's Guide available. 50,000 first printing. $50,000 ad/promo.
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About the Author
Mo Hayder teaches at Bath Spa University.
Reviews
From its start in 1937, as the Japanese overrun the Chinese port of Nanking and massacre hundreds of thousands, to its narrative core in 1990, as a disturbed young British woman who calls herself Grey searches for the hidden truths that made her the mentally fragile person she is, Hayder's third book (after 2002's The Treatment) is a thriller of rare art and gripping excitement. Hayder, one of the rising stars of British crime fiction, teaches at a university in Bath and has worked as a hostess in a Tokyo nightclub. Both experiences add to her book's unusually rich atmosphere. Grey, who lives on the fringes of the academic world, tries to find out in Tokyo whether a piece of 16mm film taken during the Nanking atrocities actually exists--and whether it will ease her pain. When an elderly Chinese professor, a survivor of Nanking, at first refuses to help her, she drifts into a well-paying job as a night club hostess. (Russian twin sisters Irina and Svetlana teach her the tricks of the trade. "You gotta look sophisticated," Svetlana tells her earnestly. "You wanna wear my belt, eh? My belt is gold. Black and gold nice!") Eventually, the story becomes a beautifully paced, three-way duel among an aged Japanese gangster who wants to live forever; the Chinese professor, with secrets too horrible to hide any longer; and Grey, a courageous young woman unlike any other heroine you're likely to find in a thriller.
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Seeking confirmation of an atrocity committed by Japanese soldiers during the 1937 invasion of Nanking, troubled young Englishwoman Grey Hutchins tracks down a Chinese survivor who might have film of the massacre. But when she finds Shi Chongming teaching at a Tokyo university, he offers no help--until Grey takes a job at a hostess club frequented by an old Yakuza don. Chongming, it turns out, needs access to the strange medicine the mobster takes to stave off death. If Grey can deliver the information he needs, Chongming promises, he will show her his secret film. Although the narrative--split between the professor's haunting 1937 diary and Grey's contemporary Tokyo journal--takes a while to pick up steam, it ends up delivering a potent punch. Hayder fancies she is withholding more plot twists than she actually does, but Grey and Chongming's affecting stories of weakness and loss redeemed by their obsessive quests for truth and justice make up for a twinned mystery that's not too difficult to dope out. Frank Sennett
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The Devil Of Nanking
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardback. Condition: Good. Dazzling . . . In this extremely creepy book, Hayder's third, the diabolically gifted British author spins a fascinating mystery from the legacy of Japanese atrocities during World War I.--Entertainment Weekly A haunting, lyrical, disturbing, important, suspenseful, wonderfully written and beautiful book. You will love reading it, and you will not soon forget the experience.--Harlan Coben Grey has a lot to prove and even more to hide. A young Englishwoman obsessed with a past she cannot understand, she has come to Tokyo following rumors of a rare piece of film footage shot during the notorious Nanking Massacre in 1937, which has been lost for decades. But the only man who can help, a survivor of the massacre and now a visiting professor at a prestigious Tokyo university, will have nothing to do with her. Increasingly desperate in an alien city, Grey accepts a job as a hostess in an upmarket nightspot catering to Japanese businessmen and wealthy yakuza, where one gangster--an old man in a wheelchair surrounded by a terrifying entourage, rumored to rely on a powerful elixir for his continued health--might be the key to the answers Grey seeks. Taut and gritty, with the redolent atmosphere of Ian Rankin and the spine-tingling characters of Thomas Harris, The Devil of Nanking is a tour de force that confirms Mo Hayder as a thriller writer of the first order. Wrenching . . . A beautifully controlled thriller about culture clash . . . Scary.--Douglas Wolk, The New York Times Book Review There is a terrible beauty to both narratives as they unfold toward an agonizing but inevitable conclusion, with the two stories dovetailing exquisitely . . . The Devil of Nanking just may be one of the best books of the year.--Tom and Enid Schantz, The Denver Post. Seller Inventory # 00105430701
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The Devil of Nanking: A Novel
Seller: HPB-Ruby, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
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hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_476791087
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The Devil Of Nanking
Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardback. Condition: Good. Dazzling . . . In this extremely creepy book, Hayder's third, the diabolically gifted British author spins a fascinating mystery from the legacy of Japanese atrocities during World War I.--Entertainment Weekly A haunting, lyrical, disturbing, important, suspenseful, wonderfully written and beautiful book. You will love reading it, and you will not soon forget the experience.--Harlan Coben Grey has a lot to prove and even more to hide. A young Englishwoman obsessed with a past she cannot understand, she has come to Tokyo following rumors of a rare piece of film footage shot during the notorious Nanking Massacre in 1937, which has been lost for decades. But the only man who can help, a survivor of the massacre and now a visiting professor at a prestigious Tokyo university, will have nothing to do with her. Increasingly desperate in an alien city, Grey accepts a job as a hostess in an upmarket nightspot catering to Japanese businessmen and wealthy yakuza, where one gangster--an old man in a wheelchair surrounded by a terrifying entourage, rumored to rely on a powerful elixir for his continued health--might be the key to the answers Grey seeks. Taut and gritty, with the redolent atmosphere of Ian Rankin and the spine-tingling characters of Thomas Harris, The Devil of Nanking is a tour de force that confirms Mo Hayder as a thriller writer of the first order. Wrenching . . . A beautifully controlled thriller about culture clash . . . Scary.--Douglas Wolk, The New York Times Book Review There is a terrible beauty to both narratives as they unfold toward an agonizing but inevitable conclusion, with the two stories dovetailing exquisitely . . . The Devil of Nanking just may be one of the best books of the year.--Tom and Enid Schantz, The Denver Post. Seller Inventory # CIN0802117945G
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The Devil of Nanking: A Novel
Seller: Goodwill of Silicon Valley, SAN JOSE, CA, U.S.A.
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Condition: good. Supports Goodwill of Silicon Valley job training programs. The cover and pages are in Good condition! Any other included accessories are also in Good condition showing use. Use can include some highlighting and writing, page and cover creases as well as other types visible wear. Seller Inventory # 3ZHMCY006H72
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The Devil of Nanking
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Grove/Atlantic, Incorporated, 2005
ISBN 10: 0802117945
ISBN 13: 9780802117946
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Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
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Condition: Good. 1st. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # GRP72251705
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THE DEVIL OF NANKING.
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ISBN 10: 0802117945
ISBN 13: 9780802117946
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Seller: Bookfever, IOBA (Volk & Iiams), Ione, CA, U.S.A.
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Condition: FINE. First US printing. "A young Englishwoman obssessed with a past she cannot understandcomes to Tokyo seeking a rare piece of film footage that has been lost for decades. It shows a specific horrifying incident that took place during the notorious 1937 Nanking Massacre." Hayder's powerful third novel, one which alternates between Nanking in China as the Japanese Army comes closer and closer and the underworld of the yakuzi in modern Tokyo. Author's note. 363 pp. Very near fine in a like dustjacket. Seller Inventory # 53640
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The Devil of Nanking: A Novel
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ISBN 10: 0802117945
ISBN 13: 9780802117946
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Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. NF/NF. First US edition, first printing. 363 pp. Seller Inventory # 30419
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The Devil of Nanking: A Novel
Published by
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ISBN 10: 0802117945
ISBN 13: 9780802117946
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The Devil of Nanking
Published by
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ISBN 10: 0802117945
ISBN 13: 9780802117946
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First Edition
Seller: Dusty Spine Rare Books, Longmont, CO, U.S.A.
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Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Stated "FIRST AMERICAN EDITION", first printing with full print number line on copyright page. Book and dust jacket in Fine condition. Bright red boards with black cloth quarter binding and red lettering. All pages clean and unmarked. Dust jacket in protective mylar cover. See photos. Seller Inventory # ABE-1579969269904
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The Devil of Nanking: A Novel
Published by
Grove Press, New York, NY, USA, 2005
ISBN 10: 0802117945
ISBN 13: 9780802117946
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Seller: Companion Books, Burnaby, BC, Canada
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. The book and jacket are in very good condition, little shelf rubbing apparent. Text and images inside appear clean and clear throughout. 'With the redolent atmosphere of Ian Rankin and the spine-chilling characters of Thomas Harris, Mo Hayder's The Devil of Nanking, takes the reader on an electrifying literary ride from the palatial apartments of yakuza kingpins to deep inside the secret history of one of the twentieth century's most brutal events: the Nanking Massacre. A young Englishwoman obsessed with an indecipherable past, Grey comes to Tokyo seeking a lost piece of film footage of the notorious 1937 Nanking Massacre, footage some say never existed. Only one man can help Grey. A survivor of the massacre, he is now a visiting professor at a university in Tokyo. But he will have nothing to do with her. So Grey accepts a job in an upmarket nightspot, where a certain gangster may be the key to gaining the professor's trust. An old man in a wheelchair surrounded by a terrifying entourage, the gangster is rumored to rely on a mysterious elixir for his continued health. Taut, gritty, sexy, and harrowing, The Devil of Nanking is an incomparable literary thriller set in one of the world's most fascinating cities-Tokyo-from an internationally best-selling author.' 363 pages. 6.5 x 9.25 inches. May require additional postage. This listing was made by a small independent book shop. We carefully inspect every single book we list and give accurate descriptions. If you require we will promptly send pictures of listed books upon request Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Book. Seller Inventory # 052842
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