On a normal day in provincial China, a teenager goes about his regular business, but he’s also planning the brutal murder of his only friend. He lures her over, strangles her, stuffs her body into the washing machine and flees town, whereupon a perilous game of cat-and-mouse begins.
A shocking investigation into the despair that traps the rural poor as well as a technically brilliant excursion into the claustrophobic realm of classic horror and suspense, A Perfect Crime is a thrilling and stylish novel about a motiveless murder that echoes Kafka’s absurdism, Camus’ nihilism and Dostoyevsky’s depravity. With exceptional tonal control, A Yi steadily reveals the psychological backstory that enables us to make sense of the story’s dramatic violence and provides chillingly apt insights into a country on the cusp of enormous social, political and economic change.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Anna Holmwood translates literature from Chinese and Swedish to English. She was awarded one of the first British Centre for Literary Translation mentorship awards in 2010 and is currently working on a major series of Chinese martial arts novels by Jin Yong for MacLehose Press. In 2011 she co-founded the Emerging Translators’ Network to support early career translators, and was elected to the UK Translators Association committee in 2012. She lives in China.
‘Doused in blood and gushing with ethical conundrums, A Yi’s A Perfect Crime is a disconcerting medley of misanthropy, escapism, and media monstrosities. Woven from tales garnered in the author’s previous career in law enforcement, Yi’s psychological insights are frequently bookended by realistic renditions of urban China’s legal processes. Where Anthony Burgess sought to conjure a world of abstract flair and inexplicable cruelty in A Clockwork Orange, Yi strikes a far deeper chord, delving into the mind of a youth whose lethal motivations are abundantly and undeniably troubling.’, World Literature Today
‘A Yi's isolated narrator is equal parts calculating monster and forsaken victim: deserted, neglected and ignored, he finds that his only means of feeling alive is to engender death. This austere English PEN Award winner offers an exponentially more chilling alternative to the plethora of dystopic titles; fans of Mo Yan, Yu Hua, Fuminori Nakamura and even Keigo Higashino will surely find resonating, realistic terror here., Library Journal
‘Yi, a former police officer, is slowly rising to prominence on the literary scene in China, where this novel was published in 2011. A Perfect Crime is a commentary on both the culture and on the amorality and emotional detachment of one individual in it.’, Booklist
‘Achieves something we haven’t seen in Chinese fiction for a while – a refreshingly non-verbose, verb-driven, first-person narrative of taut tension (reflected brilliantly in Anna Holmwood’s translation)...[the] writing is pared back, short, driven by pace, and very to the point...a rollercoaster read, so grip the seat, hang on, and be prepared only to relax when you’ve got to the end of the ride.’, Los Angeles Review of Books
‘Tightly crafted...less a traditional catch-him-if-you-can crime caper and more a psychological probe into a pathological mind.’, Wall Street Journal
‘Startling...sheds light on a country undergoing huge social, political and economic change...one of the most important voices to emerge from the People’s Republic in years.’, Daily Express
‘An unlikely page-turner and provides a chilling insight into the mind of a psychopath.’, Irish News
‘A Perfect Crime...shows A Yi to be one of the most important voices to emerge from the People's Republic in years.’, International Express
‘Shimmering sentences and jolts of original thinking...break through the taut, descriptive prose like shafts of sunshine in a strip-lit room.’, Big Issue
‘Disturbingly convincing.’, The Complete Review
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 2.64
Within U.S.A.
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00041368933
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: KuleliBooks, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. The book may have minor cosmetic wear (i.e. creased spine/cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent). The book may have some highlights/notes/underlined pages - Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included - Safe and Secure Mailer - No Hassle Return. Seller Inventory # 521X7W001AUX
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Reprint. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # GRP96474977
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR007236479
Quantity: 4 available
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: good. May show signs of wear, highlighting, writing, and previous use. This item may be a former library book with typical markings. No guarantee on products that contain supplements Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Twenty-five year bookseller with shipments to over fifty million happy customers. Seller Inventory # 25219144-5
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Ergodebooks, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Softcover. Condition: Good. First Trade Paper. A chilling literary thriller about a motiveless murder in provincial China'One of the most important voices to emerge from the People's Republic in years' Daily ExpressOn a normal day in provincial China, a teenager goes about his regular business, but hes also planning the brutal murder of his only friend. He lures her over, strangles her, stuffs her body into the washing machine and flees town, whereupon a perilous game of cat-and-mouse begins.A shocking investigation into the despair that traps the rural poor as well as a technically brilliant excursion into the claustrophobic realm of classic horror and suspense, A Perfect Crime is a thrilling and stylish novel about a motiveless murder that echoes Kafkas absurdism, Camus nihilism and Dostoyevskys depravity. With exceptional tonal control, A Yi steadily reveals the psychological backstory that enables us to make sense of the storys dramatic violence and provides chillingly apt insights into a country on the cusp of enormous social, political and economic change. Seller Inventory # SONG1780749295
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, United Kingdom
Condition: Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. Minor shelf wear. Seller Inventory # wbb0022391356
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 5-1780749295-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Book Deals, Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Good condition. This is the average used book, that has all pages or leaves present, but may include writing. Book may be ex-library with stamps and stickers. 0.79. Seller Inventory # 353-1780749295-gdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
Condition: Very Good. Reprint. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 15859511-20
Quantity: 1 available