Lili

by Annie Wang, Tuba Yılmaz (Translator)

Çin Kültür Devrimi sırasında büyüyen bir kız Lili. Ailesinin "aşağılık entelektüeller" olarak damgalanmasına şahit olmuş, Pekin dışına tekrar eğitilmeye gönderildiklerinde onlarla birlikte gitmiş... Tekrar Pekin'e döndüğündeyse kentin bambaşka bir yüzü açılır ona. Arka sokaklarda gizlenen alternatif, isyankâr, tabusuz, öfkeli bir dünya...

Yıllarca bastırılan bu öfke sonunda Tiananmen Meydanı'nda patladığında Lili de sarsılarak silkinir. Batılı bir gazeteciyle ilişkisi sayesinde ülkesine bambaşka bir gözle bakmaya başlayan genç kadın, bu dönemde aşk, doğu-batı, özgürlük ve kendisi hakkında çok şey öğrenecektir.

Okuyanı kuşatan bir çıplaklık ve dolaysızlıkla kaleme alınmış olan Lili, psikolojik ve duygusal derinliğiyle çok güçlü ve çekici bir hikâye anlatırken, doğu ve batının evrensel çelişkileri ile önemli tarihi olaylara da keskin bir bakış sunuyor.

Genres: China, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical, Asia

295 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2001

About the author

Annie Wang's journey begins in Beijing, where she emerged as a child prodigy, swiftly solidifying her status as one of the most successful young authors in 1990s China. Accumulating thousands of fan letters, she was honored as one of the ten most liked high-schoolers in Beijing, earning the title "Hope Star." Her trajectory took a crucial turn upon arriving in America, enrolling at UC Berkeley in the mid-'90s. Annie received an immediate warm embrace and popularity among classmates, teachers, and the community. Berkeley's dynamic bohemian environment suited her exceptionally well, serving as the crucible for honing Annie's English writing skills. This transformative journey culminated in her triumph at the Berkeley poetry contest and her classes, eloquently chronicled in her bestselling book, "From Beijing to California," inspiring a wave of Chinese students to choose Berkeley over other top American universities.

Post-Berkeley, Annie's literary star continued its ascent with the release of four English novels: "Lili," "The People's Republic of Desire," "May In America," and "Early Bloomers." Her work has been translated into German, French, and Turkish. The LA Times lauded her as "a striking literary voice," and a cascade of critical acclaim followed from major Western media outlets, including the New York Times, Times of London, Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Economist, New Yorker, IHT, Marie Claire, and Seattle Times. Annie's pen also left its mark on The Washington Post, Time, and Fortune. Beyond the written word, her insightful social commentaries resonated on CNN and NPR, complemented by a persistent column in the South China Morning Post. The column was a massive success in Hong Kong's English world, with her ad gracing the front page of SCMP and subscriptions hitting a record high thanks to her contributions. Annie gave talks at prestigious venues such as M on the Fringe, the Kee Club, the American Club, and The FCC, gaining popularity among the foreign expat community as well as Hong Kong's local literary circle.

Annie Wang's influence transcends ink-stained pages, reaching Wall Street and Fortune 500 companies such as Prudential and UBS with her paid speeches. In the professional arena, she navigates the realm of women's magazines, holding managing editor positions at In Style and Tatler China, and serving as the publisher for Lifestyle magazine. Her thematic focus converges with the heartbeat of modern China, exploring facets of fashion, style, women, identity, and pop culture. In a fascinating twist, following in her aunt's footsteps, she has turned into an I Ching scholar. She holds popular podcasts such as Annie On I Ching, Annie On America.

Balancing professional prowess with familial responsibilities, Annie divides her time between residences in Shanghai and Beijing, weaving the threads of life with her husband and three children.



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Annie Wang's journey begins in Beijing, where she emerged as a child prodigy, swiftly solidifying her status as one of the most successful young authors in 1990s China. Accumulating thousands of fan letters, she was honored as one of the ten most liked high-schoolers in Beijing, earning the title "Hope Star." Her trajectory took a crucial turn upon arriving in America, enrolling at UC Berkeley in the mid-'90s. Annie received an immediate warm embrace and popularity among classmates, teachers, and the community. Berkeley's dynamic bohemian environment suited her exceptionally well, serving as the crucible for honing Annie's English writing skills. This transformative journey culminated in her triumph at the Berkeley poetry contest and her classes, eloquently chronicled in her bestselling book, "From Beijing to California," inspiring a wave of Chinese students to choose Berkeley over other top American universities.

Post-Berkeley, Annie's literary star continued its ascent with the release of four English novels: "Lili," "The People's Republic

Reviews

[Hulyacln · Rating 3 out of 5]

Çin Edebiyatına ilgisi olanlar bilir ki Çin’in tarihi, edebiyatından ayrı düşünülemez. Mo Yan ve Yu Hua’da bunu iliklerimize kadar hissederiz.
Büyük İleri Atılım’dan Kültür Devrimi’ne halka yansıyanları görürüz. Ve ben bunları okudukça (hemen hemen her defasında) irkilirim.
Lili de ‘aşağılık entelektüeller’ olarak damgalanan ailesini, sokaklarda geçirdiği günleri anlatmaya başlıyor.
Sonra yolu bir Batılı gazeteci ile kesişiyor, bir bakıyorlar ki yol Tiananmen’e çıkmış.
Bağıran, haklarını arayan gençlerin ortalarında kalmış Lili.
Biz de arkasındayız. Hem üzülüyoruz hem isyan bayrakları sallıyoruz.
.
Annie Wang’ın yazdıkları da beni etkiledi elbet. Ama daha çok anlattığı ülkenin geçmişi ve insanlarının etkisi bu. Lili, bazı kısımlarında kopukluklar hissetsem de karakterin büyüdükçe, içinde yaşadığı toprağın rengine bürünmesini sevdim.
Tavsiye ederim.
.
Tuba Yılmaz çevirisi, Utku Lomlu kapak tasarımıyla ~

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is hard-hitting, unstinting realism from the view of a Beijing street girl. The panorama of social situations spans the Chinese universe, and Wang's Lili witnesses all, navigating through the Cultural Revolution's aftermath like a walker on emotional knife-edges.

[Başak · Rating 3 out of 5]

bugün günlerden isyan!
çin kültür devrimi sırasında büyüyen lili, devrimci olarak nitelendirilemeyip dışlanan ailesinden farklı bir kız, holigan olup çıkmaktan başka şansı kalmıyor yaşadıkları yüzünden. yaşadıkları zor, bunca zorluk arasında hayatta kalmak için yaptığı şeyler var. büyürken hem kendinin hem ülkesinde olanların farkına her geçen gün daha çok varıyor. amerikalı gazeteci sevgilisi ile ilişkisi de çok şey katıyor tabii ona.
"çin'i anlamak için çok uğraşıyor" diye bahsediyor sevgilisinden lili, "seni anlamasına izin ver, çin'i anlamasına yardım etmiş olursun" diyor arkadaşı da ona. lili'nin karakteri kitabın sonlarına doğru iki boyutlu olmaktan çıkıyor, ayakları yere basan bir kadına dönüştüğünü söyleyebilirim. kitabın bazı yerleri tam melodrama. konusu ilginizi çektiyse öneririm ama çok derinlikli bir roman olmadığını da belirtmek isterim.

[Luiza Marques · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lili is a complex debut novel written by Annie Wang a Chinese author who uses inspiration of her teenage rebellions to write the main character, Lili Lin. Lili, our anti-hero, is a complex young woman who is constantly struggling with finding her own path, maintaining family relations, and surpassing her past. The book starts when she was released from prison (a.k.a reformation camp) after being arrested for sexual promiscuity, we see how she is vilified by her parents and her community for simply having sex without being married. The book doesn't really have any major plot, instead, it focuses on her day to day life mainly after she meets her Jewish boyfriend, an American journalist named Roy. Their relationship is a key part of her story arch and evolution as a character since he pushes her immensely out of her comfort zone and also introduces her to the high society of Bening because of his financial status.
Lili is constantly struggling with carrying for something after experiences from her past like being raped by a government official while she was 12, having participated in a gang where her boyfriend treated loyalty for her sexual favors, and having her best friend killed by the same boyfriend. Happily trough her relationship with Roy she is able to open up and realize that she needs to work in herself. By the end of the book, Lili is involved in a student protest which is her first step into getting involved in something and finding something she cares about. She also makes amends with her parents after she finds out she will become a parent herself which shows how mature she has become. Even though in the end she is still deeply troubled and still has a lot to work on we can get a glimpse of hope that Lili will be able to suppress her traumatic experiences as she decides to go live with Roy in the US and raise their family together.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein unglaublich fesselndes Buch, das extrem spannende Einblicke in die chinesische Kultur & Geschichte gewährt aus der Sicht einer rebellischen Frau.

[Liza Rodimtseva · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title character of Lili is a young social outcast who slowly begins to question her place in life after embarking on an affair with an American journalist. Lili represents a generation of Chinese, born during the years of the Cultural Revolution, who drift through life, disaffected and traumatized, with no personal or professional ambitions, no spiritual guidance and no political beliefs. However, Lili is not much of a character, self-loathing and unlikable, which makes her progress - slow and reluctant, like China's - hard to invest in.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read several historical novels set in China that were wonderfully written and that had brilliantly portrayed characters, but, unfortunately, this was not one of them. The main character has very low self-esteem due to having been traumatized as a young teen, and, believing that she has been ruined and is unworthy of experiencing true love, she throws herself into a lifestyle that her country calls "hooliganism," i.e., being a part of gang culture, consuming alcohol and partying, and being extremely promiscuous. Even though Lili does meet a man who truly loves her despite her past, she has difficulty believing this and doesn't feel worthy of him, and the book ends with him having been required to return to the United States and with her in China believing that she has no place other than in China and that she is unworthy of going to him in order to be his bride even though she does love him and had lived with him when he had been living in China. I found it sad that Lili never truly grows as a person or recovers from her past and that she is so passive in life; she lets life happen to her and is unwilling to do anything to change it. The book also has a really slow pace to it and far too much focus on politics for my taste; however, I will grant that it is decently written for a book written in a second language. Overall though, I just didn't like it much.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't say I hated it but it also isn't a favorite. Parts of this book were fascinating but then some parts were slow. I just think it took the character to long to change and she never really opened up. Got invested in the character without her really going anywhere

[Anomy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the milestones of my life. It is beautiful. It is like a ripple in the water, every time I read it, the more of an impact it makes on me.

[Nora Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this was a very interesting and also educational "feelings walk" through the mind's eye of a Tiananmen Chinese girl's coming to terms with her cultural upbringing and attempts to find herself within al of that and the history going an around her as well as the decisions she has to make to she herself as a person as her life unfolds with the coming of age for every human being.

It is very interesting to try to get inside the old Chinese ways and thoughts, accepted way of acting and living as compared to American life and the distinct differences.

Annie Wang does not try to tell which way is "right" in her book, but does give the reader a chance to understand where her character and subsequently a Tiananmen Chinese of this time and age is coming from in thought and culture-shaping opinion.

[Dahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In interesting book due to the perspective of someone inside China during a tumultuous period in their history.

[Roni Adair · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were several instances of words missing. Poor editing in my opinion. It did make me want to google Tiannemen square though.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very insightful and sad novel. I thought the ending was perfect for Lili and for the idea of hope still being alive.

[Ishanvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Deedee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.25 Stars. Listened to Kindle audio version.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book encapsulates the rush of heartwarming humanity that could bring a country together

[Fay Hensley]

This was an unexpected very good read. I started this without knowing what to expect and what I found was an emotional story of self struggle in an undemocratic society that really didn't have a lot of respect for woman at the time. What I loved the most, Lili was not afraid to be who she wanted to be and or really q...uestion who it was that she wanted to become. The price she paid during her lifes journey was not but painful to read. I'm not afraid to admit, but this one did make me cry. I highly recommend this book. It will definitely teach you a few things you may not have known and give you an appreciation for what you have.

[lukoto · Rating 1 out of 5]

dear, if it is not because of the lit project, I will never read such a superficial cliche. cultural difference, white supremacy, crackdown of the government..etc.. It only captures a glimpse of China, a very single-folded side, and the characters are just so plain. I feel complicated to criticize novels written by Chinese immigrants as such, since it stands at the moral high ground and is performing political correctness so well, and the fact you criticize it or dislike it will only make people label you as an "apologist" or "nationalist" of the Chinese regime. So well ideologically designed, but so poor as a literary text.

[Latrevia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It made me understand China better and it's quest in what it's trying to achieve. Also, it made me realize how each government portrays how they want to be, but the reality is much more skewed. Therefore, it's imperative that we ensure that whomever we vote for, whether mayor or president, we should hold them accountable and ensure they set out to do what's best for us. This book reminded me that I have a voice, and in the end I was inspired and literally jumping up and down!

[Laine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't know if i liked it. Reads quite poorly in places whereas in others the digging into cultural differences are amazingly insightful. The changes that occur to Lili are not quite believable but the descriptions of poverty at the margins of Chinese society are fascinating. In parts, its a great, eye-opener. In others its just soppy fluff. Fluff is acceptable because of the insights on Chinese life during the cultural revolution and up thru to the tieneman standoff. There was enough interesting stuff to keep me reading to the very annoying end.

[Giulia Cavallari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt like climbing a mountain. it started out boring as hell, and in the end I did not want it to finish. The climb was worth the view. on average a three stars, as I can't avoid wondering what it would have been if the beginning wasn't that difficult to pass through. The title is misleading. It isn't a novel of Tiananmen, but rather a novel that led to Tiananmen on the personal and sociopolitical level.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book not because I felt that is was particularly well written, but because I really liked the juxtaposition between Lili, a Chinese "hoolagin", and Roy, an American journalist. Seeing the way they interacted opened eyes to how Chinese view their culture which is misunderstood by many Americans. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in learning about modern China.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. I really respected the author because this was Annie Wang's first book in English, and despite some minor typos here and there, the book was written better than most books with writers speaking English as a first language. The ending wasn't all that great though... I wanted to find out what happened to Lili. Other than the ending, this book was awesome.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow--how life can change on a dime and be forever altered. One more sad story of how the cultural revolution with noble goals destroyed lives. Lili becomes a hooligan but then gets involved with an American journalist. She struggles to sort out her life, what to do with it, her conflicting feelings about China and just about everyone. Yes--read it.

[Marci · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a good story teller, but when the voice (whoever voice it may be) becomes politically charged or opinionated, it all sounded like the same voice. Enjoyed the story when the judgements werent being voiced.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy to read. But expected a bit more of historical events. It took a while to get into the details of Tiananmen. This book was about a girl named Lili and what she went through in life living in China during this time period.

[Saya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly a first book; the characterisation of the love interest was slightly nauseating but otherwise good for a no-brainer.

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read, but could be better.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

everyone should read books about what ordinary folks had to go through in the Cultural Revolution. educate yourself

[Kathy Chung · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed at : Small Kucing

Nice book. A lot of crying.