Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City – A Powerful Real-Time Record of Forced Isolation and Human Resilience

by Fang Fang, Michael Berry

From one of China’s most acclaimed and decorated writers comes a powerful first-person account of life in Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak. On January 25, 2020, after the central government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, acclaimed Chinese writer Fang Fang began publishing an online diary. In the days and weeks that followed, Fang Fang’s nightly postings gave voice to the fears, frustrations, anger, and hope of millions of her fellow citizens, reflecting on the psychological impact of forced isolation, the role of the internet as both community lifeline and source of misinformation, and most tragically, the lives of neighbors and friends taken by the deadly virus. 
A fascinating eyewitness account of events as they unfold,  Wuhan Diary  captures the challenges of daily life and the changing moods and emotions of being quarantined without reliable information. Fang Fang finds solace in small domestic comforts and is inspired by the courage of friends, health professionals and volunteers, as well as the resilience and perseverance of Wuhan’s nine million residents. But, by claiming the writer´s duty to record she also speaks out against social injustice, abuse of power, and other problems which impeded the response to the epidemic and gets herself embroiled in online controversies because of it. As Fang Fang documents the beginning of the global health crisis in real time, we are able to identify patterns and mistakes that many of the countries dealing with the novel coronavirus have later repeated. She reminds us that, in the face of the new virus, the plight of the citizens of Wuhan is also that of citizens everywhere. As Fang Fang “The virus is the common enemy of humankind; that is a lesson for all humanity. The only way we can conquer this virus and free ourselves from its grip is for all members of humankind to work together.”  Blending the intimate and the epic, the profound and the quotidian,  Wuhan Diary  is a remarkable record of an extraordinary time.  Translated from the Chinese by Michael Berry

Genres: Nonfiction, China, Memoir, Asia, History, Audiobook, Politics

416 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2020

About the author

Fang Fang graduated from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Wuhan University in 1982. She has published nearly seventy novels, novellas and essay collections. Many of her novels and novellas were published overseas in English, French, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, Korean and other languages. Her representative works include the novels Chronicle of Wuni Lake and Water under the Time, and novellas The Scenery and Grandfather in the Heart of Father.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished! The book was exactly what it said, a diary posted online every day (posts removed by the ultra-leftists - see below, when they could). Fang Fang is a major literary figure in China and she has a very large following for whom her posts were perhaps the only true despatches on the coronavirus situation. The only information that was not tainted with having to please the Party official above the reporter, and so on up the chain.

The afterword by the translator, Michael Berry would have been better first, as a foreword, as it gives context to the diary with it's cultural references that aren't obvious until pointed out.

Wuhan Diary is really a book worth reading by the Chinese (who almost universally have slagged it off and denied the truth of it) who hopefully might actually learn that, outside of other Far Eastern countries who share the importance of 'saving face', the rest of the world respects honesty more than it does the cover-ups over disease that saving face inevitably means. Hopefully before yet another disease of Chinese origin.
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Notes on reading It starts, the Chinese government try and cover it up. People don't know about it so they travel and catch it and travel somewhere else passing on the disease as they go. Some of them meet international travellers, some of them travel abroad themselves. The Chinese government eventually comes clean about it but it's too late to stop the spread of the infection worldwide.

So that's twice they done it, SARS and Covid-19. Will the Chinese government see the light and tell the world immediately they even suspect there is another infection? How can a government that is essentially a collective dictatorship be forced to do the best for the world rather than what will benefit their own small highly privileged group?

Cover-up of SARS by the Chinese gvt "Thinking back to the year of SARS, that disease began to spread in March but the government initially tried to cover it up. At the time, I had an old classmate in Guangzhou who was about to undergo a big operation. I went with a few dozen old friends from all over CHina down to Guangzhou to support her during her surgery; we all descended on the very hospital where the SARS outbreak was fiercely raging, but none of us knew at that time and none of us were wearing face masks. We all travelled there roundtrip by train. Once what was happening was finally exposed, everyone all over the country was in a state of panic."

How can they be made to see that what they see as 'saving face' is what we see as making them a pariah nation? China would be regarded more positively by the world by coming clean about diseases than by covering them up and, as still continues, fudging the figures.

According to worldometer.com, China has only about 88K cases in total with just 2 or 3 new ones a day. Fang Fang in early February says there was more than 70,000 then.
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Ultra-leftists. "Anyone with an opinion that differs from their own is regarded as their enemy." That's true for more countries than China, ultra-any political convictions. The last paragraph shows that it isn't just in China that the media is utterly biased. This is what Fang Fang has to say about the havoc they create (apart from getting her blog banned, her social media profile removed and endless posts deleted)

"Today there is something I want to get off my chest that has been weighing on me for a long time: Those ultra-leftists in China are responsible for causing irreparable harm to the nation and the people.

All they want to do is return to the good old days of the Cultural Revolution and reverse all the Reform Era policies. Anyone with an opinion that differs from their own is regarded as their enemy. They behave like a pack of thugs, attacking anyone who fails to cooperate with them, launching wave after wave of attacks. They spray the world with their violent, hate-filled language and often resort to even more despicable tactics, so base that it almost defies understanding.

But what I really just don’t understand is: How is it that they are able to publish these ridiculous things online and repeatedly turn the truth upside down, yet their posts somehow never get censored or deleted and no one ever stops them."
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The last paragraph of this quote is quite chilling, an ever-rising ladder, or triangle, of corruption and protectionism and those at the bottom are nothing. "Over time the most talented get weeded out and those inferior managers rise to the top; meanwhile the most innovative and talented people in the field find jobs elsewhere. When you are too good, you call too much attention to yourself and get weeded out.

There must be a lot of people working in media who simply use their power to get ahead. Those people would never commit the flagrant error of speaking out for the people during the Chinese New Year, of all times! What is it, then, that they should be doing during the start of the Chinese New Year? Everyone in the media knows this!

The people are nothing in their eyes; all they need to worry about is making their superiors happy, because they are the only ones who can protect their status—but that has absolutely nothing to do with the needs of the people"
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From the author, "My daughter asked her 99-year-old grandfather what his secret to a long life was. His response: “Eat a lot of fatty meat, don’t exercise, and be sure to curse out anyone who deserves it.”
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Excerpts from the mostly negative reviews of the Wuhan Diary by people with Chinese names or living in a Chinese-language speaking country. Skin in the game! These were almost all the reviews. I left out two from friends who want to read it and one Chinese language one where I wasn't sure the Google translation made any sense. The ebook came out yesterday, so even though I prefer print, I couldn't wait...

""One of my best friends who's currently working/living in China begs to differ from Fang fang's opinions" Apparently coffee shops are open....

2. "the book is about a lie in wuhan, its author FangFang combines her friends'news(not real).... if the reality, please read the newspapers and choose the fair self-media"

3. "I hope there will be something comprehensive to tell the World awhat had happen in Wuhan and how Chinese government dealt with the enemy of all mankind instead of this biased book."

4. "I do not think that the translation's doing the book justice. Fang Fang has a simplicity and unique Chinese humor in her writing that are lost from translation, which make the book less sincere." Something to bear in mind.

5. "It's a shame and sad that Fang Fang couldn't publish the Chinese version"

6. "Biased version"

7. "it's been attacked elsewhere on the basis that it slanders the reputation of the party, that it is based on rumors, or because her criticisms of local officials..."

8. "Full of rumors, shame on her."

9. "The voices of China are too limited, one person's voice is too strong."

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title speaks for itself –– a diary.
To those who lash out on this book and denounce it for being biased, read it like you read a diary. A diary is a momento, a piece of oral history. You don’t read Voices from Chernobyl and expect to understand a comprehensive, objective, deductive research paper with all facts about the nuclear disaster. You read a diary to hear a voice, to learn about perspectives not fit for traditional journalism. Fang Fang’s diary is one of the tiny puzzles that make up the big picture. Read critically and respect the author’s vantage point.

Everyone has the right to reflect on their own thoughts, obtain information, and document history from their microcosmic point of view. Less nationalistic sentiments entangled when you review Fang Fang’s book, please.

I also admit that the quality of her writing in this book is quite mediocre.

[Radiantflux · Rating 4 out of 5]

50th book for 2020.

Although somewhat repetitive, an excellent resource for both understanding day-to-day life in Wuhan under lockdown, as well as the Chinese government's response.

Note: Many negative reviews on Goodreads are a result of a concerted effort by Chinese government trolls, which should make you want to read this even more.

4-stars.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know about you, but all these 1 star reviews just make me want to read it more. Preordering now.

[Kate♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5stars

This was VERY informative and interesting but, just like actual quarantine lol, was a bit repetitive. I'm sure this would have been more fun if you were keeping up as she was posting each day and I see that little ray of hope these entries probably gave people, but reading it all at once was a bit much. Other than that, this is such a perfect little time capsule of 2020 and will be probably studied for years to come.

[Hadrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

But there is nothing we can do. Actually, there is nothing anyone can do. Our only choice is to grin and bear it. Even though it is getting to the point that most of the patients can’t bear it anymore, nor can their families. But if you don’t bear it, what else is there you can do? I once wrote somewhere that “one speck of dust from an entire era may not seem like much, but when it falls on your head it’s like a mountain crashing on you.” The first time I wrote those words, I don’t think I fully grasped the depth of what it represented. But now those words are etched in my heart. [...] But then again, when I think about it from another angle, besides standing up and putting on a brave face, what else can we do? We are not trained to help the sick. All we can do is face what lies before us and shoulder what is coming. And when we have the wherewithal to help others, we help them shoulder it, too. But no matter what, I need to bear another week.

I often wonder what writing will be published about the current pandemic after it will be written. (Spare a thought for all the resumes and college admissions essays that have to include it.) Fang Fang's account is notable for being one of the most popular pieces of writing written during the ongoing crisis.

This was not supposed to be a book, it was a collection of diary entries written on Weibo, and so there is a lot of repetition. Something happens, and the author writes down her thoughts hours later, often without a filter. She holds fast to hope, and the stories of people helping each other.

Fang Fang (a pen name for Wang Fang, an award-winning author), is a well-off intellectual, and so her story includes a look into Chinese writers and professors' perspectives. Of course this is not the whole country, but it is still of some use for understanding what's going on. The author shares some rumors and videos that are shared on social media -- and we know how unreliable social media is. She is also angry at the local government and its inability to respond to the issue, and that's also a reason why she's received so much pushback from online nationalists. See the one-star reviews next to this one.

This is still a primary source of some value. As I read it, I found that events she describes as happening this year feel like they were five years ago. This book may be praised but I wonder how many people are too emotionally exhausted to read it all the way through.

[Night Owl · Rating 1 out of 5]

A diary was written by a CCP high official retiree who quarantined in the bedroom for more than two months, based on highly repeated catchphrases like “I heard from a doctor friend”, "one of my friends texted me that", "a journalist friend secretly told me"... It's fine if it were posted in the Whatapp Group chat for gossip juice, but a book happened in such short notice with ready-to-read translated English and Germany editions? Let alone certain rumors got fact-checked by netizens in China before the punishment of her book like a Southen city nurse who volunteered in Wuhan died 3 times in her book (Chinese, English and Germany edition), yet turns out to be still ALIVE but fainted due to another physical disease. This poor nurse's colleagues and family spoke publicly for an apology. A bit cruel to host an international online funeral for somebody who's just sick not dead, isn't it?
Kinda feel insulted to see it be recommended on Goodreads in the first place. A watched pot never boils, I'd rather hold a couple of months to see how things/facts settled down. I lean on the latest scientific reports made by Cambridge University, Nature, the Lancet etc with less biased prejudice nor overdosed politicization at this moment.
In the meanwhile, one of my best friends who's currently working/living in China begs to differ from Fang fang's opinions. In case you're wondering, he's a British caucasian who has never been brainwashed by any political organizations. Feedback from him who's experienced the process of containing the COVID-19 turns to be quite the opposite. With the ultimate goal of saving more lives, yes, certain strict rules were complimented, such as compulsory home isolation, mask-wearing, and temperature checking basically everywhere you go. He's able to go out for a coffee with friends now, better than herd immunity in any possible ways.
Hope more solidarity and kindness to help the human race put an end to the stressful and deadly menace. Rather than focus on some sort of biased political schemes.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valuable resource of a first hand account. Not a scandalous read to Western standards, any critiques Fang makes are reasoned and polite. I seemed to have lost all my notes, but the everyday ups and downs as time and the virus spread progressed I could relate to and felt that in many ways I mirrored Fang.

We have all been traumatized by this in different ways; looking back, none of us feel lucky--we just feel like survivors.

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thing first: if you are only reading this book for the sake of getting more dirt on the CCP, then you are coming to the wrong place. Granted, this book is biased, but this is because the book is written from the perspective of an average Wuhan citizen who witnessed the entirety of the Chinese government's dealing from her humble perspective, plus a few interviews that she has done with some medical authorities. She is not a professional reporter, nor does she have access to all inside information regarding to China's coronavirus situation. Bear in mind that this is a DIARY, as one of the comments written above me has pointed out, and it is impossible for the writer to give an extensive narrative on this matter. Also, I would like to point out that this piece of writing was heavily censored and criticized by the pro-CCP people in China solely because Fang Fang calls for the public to hold the government accountable for their actions (which is actually the main point of this book, mentioned at the end of many chapters), which further proves that this book is in no way a political propaganda defending the CCP.

I read the Mandarin version of the book and a few excerpts of the English translation. Frankly, I do not think that the translation's doing the book justice. Fang Fang has a simplicity and unique Chinese humor in her writing that are lost from translation, which make the book less sincere. This is why I am giving the book four stars. But otherwise I think this is a wonderful and honest book. Her most amazing talent, I think, is that she uses everyday events to convey the emotion of the masses. For example, she notes that at one point people's emotions become numb from losing so many loved ones to coronavirus (almost every one knows someone who died from the virus) to the point that people can't even cry anymore. Instead, they channel their fury to cursing the incompetent government both online and offline. This is actually a brilliant way of criticizing the lack of freedom of speech in the Chinese society. The people of Wuhan has obviously realized this when the death toll in the city soared, all because the provincial government and the so-called "experts" attempt to cover up the severity of the disease from public. On the other hand, Fang Fang brings up the memes that Chinese people created online, as well as the heart-warming support within individual communities/neighborhoods to show optimism and stamina that the Chinese people displayed during this time of crisis, which make the situation more bearable.

As I have said before, this diary is a honest narrative, providing us a glimpse into Wuhan during its lockdown. The writing is not perfect (understandable, since it's all written online with little furnishing), but the raw emotions that it conveys make this book worth a read. It's also interesting to see how many more Chinese people are beginning to realize the importance of freedom of speech through this incident, and are brave enough to speak up, to encourage each other, and to criticize the authority for its wrongdoings. This is a valuable lesson that both the CCP and the Chinese people need to learn, because we can't afford another pandemic like this again. Hopefully, after this incident, the Chinese people can finally earn their freedom of speech (or at least a bit more).

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

ETA: [Dieses Buch haben wir auch im Papierstau Podcast besprochen (Folge 108: Chinese Democracy)] /ETA

Dieses Buch ist allein schon deshalb spannend und lesenswert, weil es ein Stück Zeitgeschichte abbildet, in der wir uns alle, weltweit, gerade befinden. Alles ist so frisch und - da die Corona-Pandemie bekanntlich in Wuhan ihren Anfang nahm und diese Stadt uns entsprechend ein paar Monate voraus ist - sind viele Fragen und Themen, die hier zur Sprache kommen nach wie vor relevant, auch für uns westliche Länder.

Mehr als zwei Monate war Wuhan im Lockdown, und die chinesische Schriftstellerin Fang Fang hat während dieser Zeit täglich ein Online-Tagebuch geführt. Alle Einträge sind in diesem Buch gesammelt, übersetzt und mit (wenigen, aber ausreichenden) hilfreichen Fußnoten versehen von Michael Kahn-Ackermann. Karten der Stadt Wuhan und China, eine Chronologie der Ereignisse, ein Vorwort (wie es zum Tagebuch kam) und Nachwort (über die Stadt Wuhan) der Autorin runden das Paket ab.

Fang Fang beschreibt das Leben im Lockdown - und wir reden hier von einem mehr als zweimonatigen striktem Ausgangsverbot. Sie schildert die Stimmung der Wuhaner*innen (sie ist gut vernetzt und pflegt via Internet und Telefon zahlreiche Kontakte zu Menschen aus den verschiedensten Bevölkerungs- und Berufsgruppen), ihre eigenen Ängste und Sorgen und gibt auch Antworten auf die scheinbar banalsten Fragen (z.B. wie die Lebensmittelverteilung organisiert wird, wenn man seine Wohnung nicht verlassen darf, was mit den Menschen ist, die vor dem Lockdown in Wuhan gestrandet waren usw.).

Fang Fang erhebt keinen Anspruch auf Allgemeingültigkeit oder Vollständigkeit - immer und immer wieder betont sie, dass sie nur ihre Sicht der Dinge erzählt ("Alles, was wir tun können, ist, zu dokumentieren."). Das sollte eigentlich selbstverständlich sein, reicht ihren Kritiker*innen aber lange nicht - und davon gibt es genug. Denn Fang Fang wagt etwas, das in China nicht gerne gesehen wird: Sie übt Kritik. Und zwar berechtigte; Kritik jener Art, die wir für angebracht und relativ harmlos halten, in China aber zu Shitstorm und wiederholten Löschungen ihrer Einträge geführt hat (dank des Internets und ihrer 3,5 Millionen Follower konnten die Einträge aber immer rechtzeitig weitergeleitet werden). Ihre Kritik? Nun, z.B.: Dass den Menschen zu lange die Wahrheit vorenthalten wurde (noch am 10.1. verkündete ein Funktionär, das Virus sei nicht von Mensch zu Mensch übertragbar und eindämmbar; noch am 20.1. fanden in Wuhan große, von der Stadt organisierte Feste statt - die Geburt zahlreicher Superspreader). Dass man aus dem Umgang mit SARS wenige Jahre zuvor anscheinend nichts gelernt hat (auch in Wuhan fehlte es z.B. zu Beginn an Schutzmasken, und für die Restbestände wurden geradezu astronomische Preise aufgerufen). Dass gewisse Staatsdiener*innen einfach nur stumpf Befehle ausführen ohne auf die aktuelle Situation einzugehen usw.

Alles nachvollziehbar und legitim in meinen Augen, und dennoch: Fang Fang wird angefeindet, und das nicht zu knapp, und auch darauf geht sie hier ein. Dass ihre Quellen, darunter diverses medizinisches Personal, meist anonym auftritt - wer kann es ihnen verdenken, siehe Li Wenliang? Aber auch das nehmen die Kritiker*innen natürlich dankbar an (übrigens auch hier nachzuvollziehen, siehe einige der 1-Sterne-Bewertungen für dieses Buch).

Natürlich kann ich den Wahrheitsgehalt der Einträge nicht überprüfen. Aber, und das ist der "Vorteil" an der Aktualität der Thematik: Auch wir haben mittlerweile so einiges über diese Pandemie mitbekommen. Und Fang Fang will hier letztlich auch keine "neue Wahrheit" verkaufen, sondern sie dokumentiert, was die Wuhaner*innen umtreibt, was sie ärgert, was sie verstört, welche Entbehrungen sie ertragen mussten, und wie sie die Hoffnung nicht verloren haben. Bemerkenswert, auf vielen Ebenen.

P.S.: Das Buch gibt es momentan nur auf deutsch und englisch - zwar hatten auch zehn chinesische Verlage Interesse bekundet, dieses auf Druck der Regierung aber wieder zurückgezogen, nachdem die VÖ in D und USA bekannt und Fang Fang als Marionette des Westens beschimpft wurde.

[Claudia - BookButterflies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hörbuch gesprochen von Heidi Jürgens
----
Ein Tagebuch zu bewerten ist mehr als schwierig, denn man sollte es genau als dieses betrachten. Es sind die täglichen Aufzeichnungen der chinesischen Schriftstellerin Fang Fang, die (nicht mit dem Ziel ein Buch zu veröffentlichen!) während des Lockdowns in Wuhan einen Blog führte.

Zuerst einmal würde ich dieses Buch gerne allen um die Ohren hauen, welche hierzulande schreien sie wären eingesperrt und es gäbe keine Meinungsfreihei. Das Wort "Lockdown" wurde hier bisher auch allzu einfach in den Mund genommen. "Noch" hat hier niemand einen richtigen Lockdown erlebt! Das nur am Rande...

Fang Fangs Aufzeichnungen sind interessant, spannend und aufwühlend.
...und manchmal fühlt man sich machtlos, bei dem Gedanken, dass so Viele offenbar nichts aus den Lehren Wuhans gezogen haben. Aber auch, dass es solange verschleiert wurde und wir (da beziehe ich mich absolut ein) es lange nicht ernst genommen haben. Wenn Fang Fang von ihren Erlebnissen (zu Hause), dem was sie durch Freunde erfährt und ihren eigenen Gefühlen berichtet zu einem Zeitpunkt, wo wir (und auch das RKI) hier noch recht arrogant von "keinem Risiko" sprachen wird mir etwas übel. Zur gleichen Zeit saßen Millionen Wuhan-Bürger schon eingesperrt in ihren Wohnungen und hofften täglich auch eine besserung der Lage.

Die Parallelen sind faszinierend und erschreckend. Aber auch Positivität strahlt das Tagebuch aus. Es ist eine Achterbahn der Gefühle. Die Achterbahn die die Autorin den Lesern ihrer Blogeinträge nahe bringt!

Sicherlich hat es hier und da Längen, auch wenn die Kommentare sehr hilfreich sind um einige Zusammenhänge und auch Personen die genannt werden zu verstehen. Die chinesische Kultur ist faszinierend und in einigen Punkten schon ganz anders als in Europa. Auch berichtet Fang Fang oft von Informationen, die ihr zugetragen werden. Befreundete Ärzte zum Beispiel bittet sie immer um Rat. Natürlich ist dies ein recht eingeschränkter Blick, aber viele Themen erkennt man dann doch aus den Berichterstattungen.

Schockierend empfand ich zu lesen wie üblich Zensur in China ist. Wie viele Ihrer Blogbeiträge einfach gelöscht werden, dabei äußert sie sich zwar kritisch zu einigen politischen Themen, verhält sich aber Regelkonform indem sie zu Hause bleibt und sich auch keinen Verschwörungen hingibt. Sie fordert nur sehr oft eine lückenlose Aufklärung der Lage.

Fang Fangs Wuhan Diary empfinde ich als ein wichtiges Zeitdokument, welches ich jedem ans Herz legen kann. Unterstützt Euren lokalen Buchhandel und macht es Euch zu Hause gemütlich, es lohnt sich.

[Cong Han · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a shame and sad that Fang Fang couldn't publish the Chinese version.

[Marks54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not sure that I would like this. It is one of many related books being produced in near real time during the course of the pandemic and the hype that went with the announcement of its translation made me wonder whether it would be worthwhile on its own merits. My worries were groundless and I heartily enjoyed the book.

First, lets be clear on what this is and it is not. This is not a specialized study or tract on the initial ravages of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan. The author is a superb and accomplished writer - and it shows - but she is not a medical professional or even a science writer like Gina Kolata. Wuhan Diary is a book form version of an online diary that the author maintained for 60 days during the course of the quarantine in Wuhan - the action that startled observers in the West and introduced them to what would follow here once the virus got established outside of China. This was not a freestanding book form diary to start with. Instead, it was produced on a daily basis through postings on social media in China. Fang Fang was not the only person keeping track of their experiences but her location, her timing, and her considerable skills, coupled with the initial chaos and fear regarding the virus, earned her millions of followers worldwide as well as a huge number of detractors. (I realize that internet chat rooms are notoriously nasty places everywhere, but even so it seems that she has had to battle...)

There is not much of a plot. Virus comes. Preventative steps are put into place. Virus rages. People start to suffer from long periods of near isolation. Virus continues to rage. Repeat above ... In the course of chronicling all of this, Fang Fang manages to keep a number of stories going, including what she hears about the pandemic from her interpersonal network of friends and acquaintances, developments within her own life and personal circle, how various quarantine related issues develop (food, medicine, medical care, her dog, etc.).

In the midst of all of this, she thinks long and hard about what is happening, what is the right thing to do, what the government (central and local) is and is not doing, and how she is holding up. She even reflects on a long life that has spanned the cultural revolution, governmental reforms, and the economic boom. Imagine the changes she has witnessed. In all of this, she displays a strong ethical and moral position and is not afraid of anyone (apparently). She decries government inaction and inflexibility and wonders if and when politicians and administrators will ever be held accountable for the destruction caused by the virus. When her posts are taken down (which happens regularly) she fights to get them reposted. When she gets attacked and smeared by internet trolls, she responds and gives no quarter. She is not anti-government either and seems more interested in reform and improved sensitivity to people. I am sure there are backstories on particular events, but this is the impression that comes across. Fang Fang appears to be prudent on some matters and how they are discussed.

The most interesting part of the book for me comes through a comparison of the dates of the diary entries and what was going on in the US at the same time. When the lockdown began in late January, the virus still was not real in the US. When the quarantine in Wuhan was completed in late March, this was just when various SAH orders and social distancing protocols were getting started in the US. The diary traces the general path that we have just gone through in the US (it is now June 6). They had gone through what we were just starting to go through.

It is striking to compare recent experiences with the virus here with what happened during the quarantine in Wuhan, as related in the diary. Yes, I know that there are big differences between the US and China. Even so, the similarities in some issues are striking. Early on, there are problems that many here can relate to. Where do I get masks? Which masks should I get? Why do these &%@%# vendors charge so much? How can they get away with it? Where do I get food if I am stuck in my building? Where do I get my meds for recurring medical needs? What do I do if an elder parent becomes ill or even dies? How can I have a memorial service for the family (or close friends) in the midst of this quarantine? Why is the quarantine taking so long? How do I handle my growing depression?

Sound familiar?

Her writing is crisp and clear. Kudos to the translator. While there is a lot to complain about, it is also apparent that Fang Fang is trying to look on the bright side of things and look forward to life after the zero infection threshold has been reached. I see more than a little positivity and even optimism in the book. This is a very personal account.

Some of the differences are intriguing. There is relatively less on the dynamics of pandemics than is present in other accounts. The quarantine is supposed to work but it is not clear why, given that there is not a vaccine or treatment at present. Is it an effort to build herd immunity? Not clear at all. Perhaps those in charge were also trying to figure things out. There is relatively little on assumptions about why the virus works as it does. Are masks required to protect you or others who encounter you?

In one small example, towards the end of the diary, she mentions some friends/acquaintances who contracted the virus while attending some large functions scheduled at a time when they probably should not have been scheduled. While this criticism is justified, in the particular example two of the individuals sang in a chorus at these functions (and likely practiced beforehand). It is becoming better known to us that such situations (choirs, choruses) can themselves be occasions for transmitting the virus to others in the group.

While there are more than a few criticisms of authorities in the diary, this does not come across as an anti-government screed. Macro politics are not on the table and that is wise. I can get caught up on inter-governmental mudslinging from other sources. Global political rhetoric would detract from the deep value present in the diary.

I long ago passed the time when I could see myself learning Chinese and at times like those of the pandemic I regret that. It would have been good to read Fang Fang’s diary entries as they were initially published and responded to. If I cannot have that, then this version will have to do - and that is a good outcome for western readers.

[Krystelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this to be a read which teeters awkwardly between being a piece of what is essentially living history and being a hurried translation of a somewhat nationalistic diary with a lot of bias. It’s not an easy book to define- but it’s also not one that’s particularly remarkable. I was left hanging on, waiting for more- not so much regarding government criticism, but regarding anything.

We don’t hear much of the author’s family, nor the thoughts and feelings of people during isolation. Some stories are brought up- but they are ones that have been covered on the news, and this diary does little to elaborate on them. The politics and mentions of prior trolling seem to dominate the narrative, and so it is not a book that a solidarity in the pandemic can be found in, I’m afraid.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started life as an online diary kept by Chinese writer Fang Fang throughout the Covid-19 lockdown imposed on Wuhan beginning in late January 2020. Chronicling life on the ground at the heart of the outbreak that has now spread around the world, she writes on everything from the difficulties of everyday routines such as shopping amid shortages, the fear and uncertainty in the face of a new disease about which little was known and less shared with the public, the spread of information and misinformation as it emerges, lives lost to the virus, to criticism of the handling of the outbreak and the flood of criticism she received in return. An inportant record, and well worth the read.

[Peter Tillman]

Good review of Fang Fang's book by Dwight Garner, my wife's fave NYT reviewer: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/bo...
Excerpt:
"This is an important and dignified book that nonetheless, in this adept translation by Michael Barry, has its share of dead space and repetition. “Wuhan Diary” would have been twice as good at half the length. It’s a bit easier to praise, as Tom Wolfe said of the William Shawn-era New Yorker, than it is to read. Still, the urgency of this account is impossible to deny.

This book is most scorching in Fang Fang’s calls to hold to account the leaders who downgraded and minimized the virus, wasting nearly three weeks and allowing it to seep into the world at large. She rallies around this topic like Henry V pacing the floorboards before the Battle of Agincourt. She may live meekly during the lockdown, but she writes bold sentences.

She wants Chinese culture to change, for people to be more willing to admit error, to stand up and take blame."

Well, good luck with that, under the current regime. Probably won't read -- but might skim, once the library is open again. It is interesting, and sad, to read the invective hurled at the author by locals, many young, who apparently don't want to face reality. Old, old story...

[Ning Gu · Rating 1 out of 5]

the book is about a lie in wuhan, its author FangFang combines her friends'news(not real) and the suspicion of the GOV, and builds the lie in wuhan. So if read the book, readers should know what you want to know in wuhan, if the reality, please read the newspapers and choose the fair self-media. In my eyes , the book reflects the some OUT-OF-TIMEs in china is lack of understanding about the reality, and distort the truth. And have to say that the literarary world in china looks a bit depraved, just writes some books which about a ugly and unreal society, and the western world may don't like them but can gain a sense of "superiority". so you can't read Anne Diary to know the real WW2,you should read histroy like “Year Zero: A History of 1945”.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

First person account of the Wuhan lockdown by a celebrated Chinese novelist living there. Don't expect anything fully comprehensive - it felt more like a daily chat show, covering both day to day matters in her life and her take on what she heard in the news, with surprisingly scathing criticism of government response. I don't feel like social media updates always translate so well into book form - she frequently references responses to her posts elsewhere online and viral news stories - and it's a bit repetitive and myopic, but I still think this is an important read for 2020. I hope to see translations of more like this written by people in other corners of society.

[Stefani Robinson]

Is it just me, or do all the 1 star reviews with nearly identical language make you want to read this more? It does me. I see you CCP apologists.

[Owlseyes]

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/polit...

[Giota]

Ο κορονοϊός είναι εδώ! Αλήθεια όμως από πού ήρθε;
Κυκλοφόρησε πρόσφατα από τις εκδόσεις Anubis το βιβλίο της Fang Fang (φιλολογικό ψευδώνυμο της Wang Fang) «Το ημερολόγιο της Γιουχάν- Ανταπόκριση από μια πόλη σε καραντίνα».
«Οι Κινέζοι δεν ήταν ποτέ λαός που παραδέχεται τα λάθη του».
Η διάσημη Κινέζα συγγραφέας κατέγραψε από την πρώτη στιγμή της έξαρσης της καραντίνας πώς βίωσε τον εγκλεισμό, τα γεγονότα στην πόλη της Γιουχάν, τις αναρτήσεις που γίνονταν στα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης και πολλά άλλα ενδιαφέροντα πράγματα.
«Δεν έχω ακούσει κανένα να βγει και ν’ αναλάβει την ευθύνη ή έστω ν’ απολογηθεί. Σε ποιον ν’ απευθυνθούν οι οικογένειες των θανόντων; Ποιον ν’ αναθεματίσουν»;
Αν και πρόκειται κυρίως για μία προσωπική μαρτυρία, μπορείς εύκολα να καταλάβει κανείς πώς αντιμετωπίστηκε αρχικά ο κορονοϊός στην πόλη, από την οποία ξεκίνησε η εξάπλωσή του.
Κάνει αναφορά στην πολιτεία, η οποία,δρώντας άμεσα, κατασκεύασε το νοσοκομείο Χουοσενσάν μέσα σε 6 ημέρες, αλλά όπως λέει και μια κινεζική παροιμία: «Νερό που βρίσκεται μακριά τη φωτιά εδώ δεν τη σβήνει», αφού ήδη τα κρούσματα, οι νεκροί και η εξάπλωση ήταν εκτός ελέγχου.
Ένα βιβλίο που δίνει πολλές απαντήσεις, αλλά και μια νότα αισιοδοξίας, αφού η Γιουχάν τα κατάφερε…

https://www.clevernews.gr/o-koronoios...

[Tam]

It's hard to rate this book. So I decide not to.

This is a diary of an elderly experienced writer under quaratine in the city where Covid emerged. As a diary of a woman living by herself, the mundane of everday life is clear. Every day you got a bit of description of weather out there, as she gazed out from her small apartment or checked out photos people shared on the internet. Every day you heard a little bit about the stats of the epidemic in the city, through various sources that Fang Fang got a hold of. Every day you listened a little bit to her anger, her strength, her hopes, her consolations to victims. Slowly you see better and better the image of a strong wise lady who isn't afraid to face the online abuses and attacks. What an iron lady, I think

I am not a fan of Fang Fang. I think I have serious problems with the translation. I haven't had the chance to read the Chinese version, but the translation, for me, seems pretty wrong. After all Fang Fang lives as a writer, though retired so I really think her sentences must be better than this. And so it kills the majority of my enjoyment with the book. But I could be wrong about Fang Fang and may have put the wrong blame on the translator. Fang Fang is also fairly proud, and I guess she deserves it and has all the rights to be. Just my personal taste for writings that are more subdued. But again, if you are not bold enough, how to wrestle all the stresses from posting a series hugely popular "diary" posts with so much social interactions every day.

I think for Western audience, they will be delighted to focus on the fact that Fang Fang was vocal about the issue of accountability. She voiced her concerns and angers, she asked for the governments and hospitals to admit faults and assume responsibilities. And to many people in the West, it must be crazy. It's China!

From what I gather from my friends, sure, loudly criticizing government when you have a huge readership is quite a bold move in China. However, the issue of accountability has not that been rarely raised. Unlike the West where media finds joy in making fun of politicians, in the East people take less humor in it and tend to be more solemn. But it does not mean the people do not expect the government to serve the people. The governments, from what I see, in general do try their best. It was quite a surprise for me to find out that in the regular annual meetings of the Chinese government in recent years, representatives discuss very practical daily issues that are very relevant to citizens. My Chinese language teacher shared a few topics she was following closely. Yes, there were strong security measures around that time of the year. Yes, during that week you shouldn't be too critical online. But yes, also during that week various topics were discussed, and many regular citizens feel that they are cared for and listened to.

Western audience may also find interest in Fang Fang's modernity. After all she talked about independent thinking, about freedom. Isn't that the individualism, the values that the West live by!

I read a bit differently. I do not think it is individualism. It is independence, it's one taking charge of one's own thinking, but not individualism. Repeatedly Fang Fang shared her willingness to stay indoor, to sacrifice a bit of herself for the good of the society, of other people. She was sometimes unhappy with the length and the extent of the lockdown, the many shortcomings of the sudden plan that the local authorities couldn't foresee and so people slowly and grudgingly adjusted to. But she, and many other citizens, were willing to co-operate. I see very clearly how much she cared for many other people, relatives of her or not, for just strangers, for doctors and nurses. It was never about herself: I have the right to go out, you have to let me do what I want, you have to respect my freedom. No, it was: Let's do this together, let's protect our society. Her urge to critize the government is not for her own sake, her own freedom of walking and breathing without masks, but for the lives of the people, for sufferings of her fellow human beings. And that's different. Very.

At the same time caring for fellow human beings and for society is different from blind nationalism. The former is for the real actual people, the latter is for some abstract and often illusional idea. I dislike nationalism. The ultra leftists that Fang Fang mentioned in China but also elsewhere, well, you know, in US too apparently, but also in virtually all countries in the world. This phenomenon of stronger and stronger nationalism in recent years make me worry. I slowly realize that the image of the West that I was fond of when I was younger sort of slowly disintegrates. So much hypocrisy.

[Katjasleselounge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich fand das Buch wirklich interessant.
Zumal wir hier etwas lesen, was wir selbst etwas später selbst erlebt haben.
Gleichzeitig wird klar, wieviele Fehler trotz dieser Erfahrungen noch gemacht wurden.

Diese Geschichte zeigt die Verzweiflung der Menschen, gleichzeitig aber auch so viel Hoffnung.
Das fand ich beeindruckend.

Es gibt noch eine Serie namens "Heroes in harm's way", die passend dazu ist, die ich mir demnächst auch noch dazu anschauen möchte.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have read the whole thing in Fangfang's original language (Chinese) because "oh it is such an amazing story" media's been talking about and I happened to be able to read Chinese as one of my chosen languages to study.

Well, it's her freedom to write what she wants, but she might as well need to do some fact-checking before she decides to write this supposedly informative piece and publish to Western audiences, who have no idea what's going on. Her words would be taken as gospel truth outside of China... she fully knows the impact and keeps playing on words. I remain doubtful of her intentions.

I actually follow her Weibo. So don't discredit me right away. She was on social media and retweeting (She doesn't use Twitter, but you get what I mean) random news articles, but has only found out some early facts when netizens shove them down her throat way after she publishes the diary. I don't know if she would make changes or add some footnotes to correct her mistakes. Hope she does so.

Also, she's rich af. Has relations within CCP. Lives in a grand house. Whether or not her views represent Chinese commoners is doubtful. Readers should take into their consideration while reading this diary.

______
Update 26 June 2020: Our netizens on Weibo has found out Fang Fang has six different private real estates. Wow. Wonder where that money comes from when property price in China is almost $4000 per square meter...
______

So yeah, my review. I do not have these "corona-heroine-fangfang" fan lenses on, so it's just "okay". The mainstream media's blowing up it way too much, saying she's the "most acclaimed Chinese writer" when nobody's ever heard of her in or outside of China before this crisis. But apparently, it fits their agenda, and the audience love a Katniss-Everdeen-heroine story against "evil CCP" Snow, so whatever.

I've got my popcorns.

Fangfang's got a lot of fans in China too. Feel free to worship her work. I respect your opinion.

Also #Pray4Wuhan and #Pray4theWorld.
Quarantine is almost over and I am optimistic. Although I don't want to go back to school. :(

[Mayk Can Şişman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Etkileyici bir kitaptı, severek okudum yazarın günlüğünü. Virüsün ciddiyetini duyurmaya çalışan Li Wenliang’tan bu kitap sayesinde haberdar oldum mesela. Güzel bir okuma oldu.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's unfair to describe such a biased situation in Wuhan. There were some real stories, but not all complete. The author has just written what she wants to write. There were more good things happened there-a little girl recovering from surfing the coronavirus said she thanked the all medical workers for Wuhan people; the nurses led patients dance to cheer them up… I hope there will be something comprehensive to tell the World what had happen in Wuhan and how Chinese government dealt with the enemy of all mankind instead of this biased book.

[Dan'S_mind]

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/polit...

[KT Wu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A raw and brave account of the city of Wuhan's 76 day lockdown from January to March 2020. This was humbling and extremely difficult to read. Originally published on Chinese social media platforms like Wechat and Weibo in installments at the end of each day, Fang Fang's diary reached readership in the millions as she emerged as a voice among residents struggling to manage the boredom and terror of the age of the coronavirus. I appreciated the generosity with which she shares her anxiety and logs the quotidian aspects of life under lockdown, and also the rigor with which she shares news headlines and specialist reports as the city, and the world, begin to understand the virus's toll. What a historical record, what a gift. Best of all, it starts and ends. Though life in Wuhan is not nearly back to normal, I felt a sort of calm in that realization that our present "normal" is and will always be an episode we will one day be able to look back on.

As her readership grows, so too do her attackers in full force. My largest feeling after finishing the diary is this: as she dodges and at times, confronts head on, internet trolls and stringent Chinese censorship, she becomes a guiding voice during global tragedy that we've yet to see in the United States. I cannot even comprehend how unusual and brave this account is given the political environment in which she writes, and continues to write. Her early observations become a cautionary tale, a projection into the US’s future 5 months from when she started. Calls for accountability - in her case, Wuhan officials who, for 20 days, withheld knowledge of the coronavirus and declared it "controllable and preventable" - are the crux of the second half of the diary. Her anger, and her readers' anger, is palpable as she demands this accountability. Maybe I've been living under a rock, but who else in the US is demanding that apologies for the missteps of the past several months from our local, state and national leaders will be the only way forward in national healing?

I can't say I enjoyed this book, but I found myself searching to find another reading experience so affirming. I recognize that the way that I read this diary is not the way that it was meant to be consumed - as lifeline installments to the residents of Wuhan, and in doses. And in the online world of comment sections. I took my time as her entries reflect, appropriately so, the absolutely excruciating unfolding of all of our lives under quarantine. It is (as our lives have become) well... extremely repetitive. The new way that I'm now able to approach our situation, however - reminding myself of Fang Fang's descriptions of collective sacrifice and mutual aid to neighbors reflected in the culture of Wuhan - was hopeful and a sort of comfort.

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wuhan Diary is 60 posts by a Chinese author named Fang Fang about her experiences related to the COVID outbreak in the City of Wuhan (on Hubei Province on the Yangtze River).

It has several characteristics that are interesting. First, since I do not read Chinese, I suspect the translator, Michael Berry, is either very skilled or she is an elegant writer (I think probably both!). Berry says he did about 5000 words a day in translation yet the rhythm of the language is beautiful. The dispatches give one a very personal idea of her experience in the city. Second, the author (who has written several novels) is skilled at not holding any punches (she is fierce in condemning officials who were derelict in their duty) and yet she never seems angry. It is an interesting balance to achieve.

All through the book are pearls - "the Coronavirus seems to have stabilized but the people's hearts have not." Or “I’m used to my posts on WeChat being taken down. But knowing that my begonias are blooming is really something to be excited about.”

She is also calm even in the light of ideologues of the far left in China attacking her. That shows he writing as an act of courage.

If you want a statistical analysis of the Corona Virus in China - this is not the book to read. But if you want a series of 60 concise reflections on how the virus advanced in China - this is a perfect choice.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very raw and heart wrenching account of life in Wuhan during the recent lock down to contain the Covid-19 virus. Fang Fang is beyond courageous when she cries out for justice: “as a Wuhan citizen who has been quarantined here for two months, as someone who has personally experienced and witnessed this tragedy that befell Wuhan, we have a responsibility and a duty to seek justice for those wronged souls. Whoever made mistakes and whoever is responsible, those are the people who should carry this burden. If we abandon the search for justice, if we forget what has happened here during these days, if we one day can no longer even remember Chang Kai’s final words, then, my fellow Wuhan people, you will be carrying a much heavier burden than this disaster; you will also be carrying the burden of shame. And the burden of forgetting.”

It is very sad to know that she is being attacked by ultra nationalists and internet trolls for trying to share with the world what it was like for the people of Wuhan who so admirably sacrificed themselves so that the virus could be contained. No one should be harassed or victimised for trying to share their personal experiences, for trying to tell the truth as they know it. I hope that the world can learn from accounts such as hers and work together to fight the virus together.