Retribution: The Jiling Chronicles

by Yongping / Goldblatt Sylvia Li-Chun Li

Retribution opens with the raucous festivities surrounding the annual procession to honor the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Changsheng, the young wife of the local coffin maker Liu Laoshi, is raped while making an offering to Guanyin in the hope of increasing her chances of bearing a son. Changsheng hangs herself following the encounter, and Liu Laoshi exacts bloody vengeance on the rapist's own wife and favorite prostitute. This act of sexual violence and its retribution provide the narrative pivot around which is woven a web of interconnecting stories, whose characters and events provide divergent perspectives on the rape and its aftermath. The result is an unforgettable exploration of the intersections of sexual desire, sadism, folk belief, and the inexorable cycles of karmic retribution.

Genres: Chinese Literature

Paperback

First published April 1, 1986

Reviews

[Graham Oliver · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure if a lot was lost in translation or cultural context would've added a bunch, but I didn't get much beyond shock factor from this?

[Citron Pineapple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, and interesting description of an imagined oriental village.