Deadly Quiet City: True Stories from Wuhan

by Murong Xuecun

From one of China’s most celebrated—and silenced—literary authors, riveting portraits of eight Wuhan residents at the dawn of the pandemic.

When a strange new virus appeared in the largest city in central China late in 2019, the 11 million people living there were oblivious to what was about to hit them. But rumors of a new disease soon began to spread, mostly from doctors. In no time, lines of sick people were forming at the hospitals. At first the authorities downplayed medical concerns. Then they locked down the entire city and confined people to their homes.

From Beijing, Murong Xuecun—one of China’s most popular writers, silenced by the regime in 2013 for his outspoken books and New York Times articles—followed the state media fearing the worst. Then, on April 6, 2020, he made his way quietly to Wuhan, determined to look behind the heroic images of sacrifice and victory propagated by the regime to expose the fear, confusion, and suffering of the real people living through the world’s first and harshest COVID-19 lockdown.

In the tradition of Dan Baum’s bestselling Nine Lives, Deadly Quiet City focuses on the remarkable stories of eight people in Wuhan. They include a doctor at the frontline, a small businessman separated from his family, a volunteer who threw himself into assisting the sick and dying, and a party loyalist who found a reason for everything. Although the Chinese Communist Party has devoted enormous efforts to rewriting the history of the pandemic’s outbreak in Wuhan, through these poignant and beautifully written firsthand accounts Murong tells us what really happened in Wuhan, giving us a book unlike any other on the earliest days of the pandemic.

Genres: Nonfiction, China, History, Science, Reportage, Medicine, Politics

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2022

About the author

Murong Xuecun (Chinese: 慕容 雪村; pinyin: Mùróng Xuěcūn, born 1974) is the pen name of the Chinese writer Hao Qun (郝群).His debut work Leave Me Alone: A Novel of Chengdu (Chinese: 成都，今夜请将我遗忘), which was distributed online, propelled him to stardom. On July 22, 2008 Murong made the long list for the Man Asian Literary Prize. As of November 2011, his microblog account has nearly 1.1 million followers.

Murong's writing deals mostly with social issues in contemporary China, exploring themes such as corruption, business-government relations, and general disillusionment over modern life. His literature is known for its nihilistic, realist, racy, and fatalist style. Following his rise to fame, Murong has emerged as one of the foremost critics of censorship in China.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Lucas Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadly Quiet City is a book that was written in great fear, through great pain. But some, including myself, would argue that that pain and fear was worth it, considering what this book has become. It explores the truth about what happened in Wuhan during the original outbreak of COVID-19, as well as the subsequent lockdown that followed. It is incredibly well written, and revealed things about the Chinese Government and the Communist Party that I never knew beforehand. It talks about the secret police, and the governments grip on social media. People are arrested for voicing their opinion, and everyone is confronted with propaganda. Deadly Quiet City isn’t afraid to tell the truth, and I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone that seeks it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic collection of profiles of people in Wuhan whose lives were affected in different ways, some unspeakably tragic, by the outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan and subsequent lockdown. Murong Cuexun is obviously a deep listener and sharp observer. He shows how some people kept their faith in the Communist Party throughout their ordeal, while others lost it long ago, and how this colours how they have processed their traumatic experiences of sickness, loss and mental breakdown. There's so much that is heartbreaking in this book, and much that is infuriating as well - the ordeals of patients trying to get treatment are nightmarish, as is the cruelty of some officials. But it also shows so well what a complex canvas is China.

Murong Xuecun has always been someone worth reading. He has angered the Party and drawn the attentions of the censors before, but with this book, the only way he could preserve his freedom and safety was to leave China altogether. This is a brave book, and the anonymous translator has done a beautiful job creating a work that reads flawlessly in English.

[Kay Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd only recommend this to those who really, really, really want to know what happened in Wuhan. Not only is it heart wrenching and tragic but the writing style is severely lacking. I'm not sure if it's in translation or that the writer wasn't writing to engage his readers but it was flat and dry much like a text book. Still, you'll want a box of tissues as the facts alone, even written like Ikea instructions, are devastating.

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

متن کتاب:
هرچه دولت حرف های قشنگ تری می‌زند، نگران تر می شوم.

در چین دیگر کسی به حریم خصوصی یا حقوق توجهی نمی کند چون خیلی وقت است که دیگر وجود ندارد.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming from a post-communist country myself I know how the regime works and I knew what to expect from this book. What surprised me though are two things. First - I thought that most people have lost their faith in the Party a long time ago, but are too oppressed to take an action and overthrow the regime; it turns out there are lots and lots of people who genuinely believe in the government and are very obedient. Second - socialism is the backbone of communism, which means that the government is supposed to be looking after their citizens like a good parent, that means free education, including higher education and free healthcare; yet in China, healthcare is very expensive, actually unaffordable for most. There is an old Chinese saying: I live, because I can't afford the coffin. I think this saying comes from at least the XV century and it looks like it´s still very much real. Heartbreaking.
What is important about these stories is that they are all real, told by real people. China is so heavily censored and controlled, that for a foreigner having a little insight into the daily living of an ordinary citizen is almost impossible. If you want to know where the virus came from - sorry, wrong door. If you want to know how the situation was handled by the Chinese government initially - here you go.
I agree that the writing isn´t the best. The book is quite repetitive. We read over and over again about censorship and obedience towards the government (that's important and needs to be highlighted, but perhaps in a different way?), food and medicine shortages, actions taken by the government etc.
This is an important work of documentary value. I´m glad the Chinese government can´t stop this from publishing worldwide because there are so many people out there who have no understanding whatsoever of the communist regime of China.

[Eloise Falcone · Rating 5 out of 5]

-special thanks to Murong Xuecun and Edelweiss+ for sending me a copy of this book-

Yang Min's story broke my heart.
Zhang Zhan should be a topic more discussed, as well as the disappearance of Fang Bin and Chen Qiushi.
People should also be hearing the harsh reality about Huoshenshan Hospital.
Everybody should hear about the death of Dr. Li Wenliang.

This book is filled with a bunch of true stories from the coronavirus battlefield. It's a masterpiece about propaganda, lyin' governments and totalitarianism in the midst of a health crisis.

Reading this will bring back memories from our own fights during those first few months in 2020. Sometimes it'll pain you to keep reading about all this suffering and death without being able to reach out and lend a hand. But it's necessary.

The author writes in a simple yet impactful way that will keep you reading until the end of the book.

Please, PLEASE, read it.

[Łukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wstrząsający reportaż o tym, jaki chaos panował na początku pandemii. Opisuje bezradność, cierpienia ludzi i traumę, którą u wielu wywołał. Pokazuje także bezwładność systemu chińskiego, w którym wszystko musi być zarządzane odgórnie, co powoduje, że nikt nie chce się wychylać o ma to śmiertelne skutki.

[Leo Cohen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have a lot to say about this but been warned by the geezas to keep it friendly given that we’re currently in a communist state and plan on visiting china next month. If you’re reading this Xi Jinping, uWu x😈. (3.3*)

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hero Book From Ground Zero

This is an absolute must-read for anyone looking to gain insight into the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Xuecun's writing is powerful and vivid, taking the reader on a journey through the chaos and uncertainty of Wuhan in the early days of the outbreak.

The personal stories of individuals and families affected by the virus are heart-wrenching, and the author does an excellent job of painting a picture of what life was like in a city that had been completely shut down.
An excellent companion read to Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from the Original Epicenter

This book is not only an important documentation of a historical event but also serves as a warning about the dangers of living under authoritarian regimes.

Overall, Deadly Quiet City is a must-read for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the early days of the pandemic and the devastating effects it had on the people of Wuhan.

Highly recommended!

4.8/5

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. The life the people detailed in the book was reminiscent of the life led by the authors of both Wild Swans and Mao's last Dancer. It didn't seem to me that it had changed that much. There were still food shortages, lots of red tape and if you say anything that the government doesn't like you get taken away and treated very badly. The last person detailed was for me the saddest story in the book. She was trying to get some justice and acknowledgement for the death of her daughter due to incompetence by the government in dealing with the situation and all she got was abuse and to made to feel that she was ungrateful for what the all powerful government had already done for her. In the end she just gave up and probably now leads a sad life where she is constantly under surveillance and is unable to use public transport.

[Thomas Feng · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This book translates real, raw encounters with the virus, and the machinations of an authoritarian regime into a haunting series of vignettes. Much has been said about Wuhan and the lockdown response by the CCP, especially in light of protests in China in 2022, two years after the events in the book take place. But this collection tells the story of Wuhan ground zero from people in Wuhan. It is at times a deeply uncomfortable read, given how prevalent the pandemic has been in our lives. Heck, the author Murong Xuecun fled China to publish this book. But it is in the discomfort which makes this book so powerful. Recommend for Chinese diaspora communities or anyone with an interest in China.

[Gilles Demaneuf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much worth reading.
Captivating.

[Nikhil · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been nearly 4 years since the devastating Novel Coronavirus broke out somewhere in Wuhan, China. By now, most independent commentators have refused the except the myth of the ‘exceptional’ handling of Covid by China (notwithstanding the suddenly opening up a few months ago).

However, given the overall censorship and the strong arm tactics of the Chinese Govt, very little has actually been published about the horrors on the ground in China during the initial weeks / months of the pandemic.

Murong Xuecon’s ‘Deadly Quiet City’ attempts to change that by bringing in the stories of 8 individuals / families who paid the price for the mishandling of the crisis and the constant need to cover up by the government.

The stories are mostly sad and depressing, given one could have never reconciled to such outcomes in a democracy like India (I hope). At the same time, they are also inspirational as they bring out the strength of the human character in times of great adversity, when there is no hope left as one has been abandoned by those who had assured you all protection.

Probably the most inspiring is the one that isn’t told as a story in the book I.E. the story of the author braving his odds and working his way through these multiple interviews in Wuhan to bring us this book. At any point he could have been incarcerated and would have ‘disappeared’ as so many others seem to do in China. Yet, that didn’t deter him from telling the story of many who didn’t have a voice of their own.

One could argue that the stories showcase the futility of going up against such an iron state, but I’d say it’s these small protests which one day lead to big changes.

In any case, stories worth reading to understand what really happened in Wuhan those few months, the price the common population paid in the process and where the blame unequivocally lays!

[Elizabeth Stolar · Rating 4 out of 5]

5/7. This was a fast and interesting read, although I don't feel like I learned so much new about the coronavirus or even the Chinese government's actions in dealing with it. What I found more striking was the level of respect or belief that so many Chinese citizens seem to have in their government and the willingness to believe what they say. I was a little surprised at how willing so many Wuhan citizens were to believe the government when they said there was little to no danger from the virus and wouldn't even allow the wearing of protective gear in some situations to avoid provoking alarm. I recently re-read Red Notice for a book club and a Russian woman attended who commented that she was amazed at how the American/British author so accurately described Russian people and attitudes -- Russians are just so cynical, and have such a doom and gloom outlook. Based on what I've read here, it doesn't seem like the Chinese people have that attitude and are much more optimistic. Interesting, given that both countries share a very long border and have oppressive, authoritarian governments.

It was sad to read the stories of Wuhan residents who lost family members and ended up with so much medical debt, with little to no help from their government. It was amazing to read of some people who continued to risk everything to speak out, and also interesting to read of others who took censorship and visits from the police in stride, and essentially met such actions with a shrug.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really important book. As I followed eight different stories from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, I learned so much not only about these individuals and their experiences, but also about daily life in China, operations of the CCP, censorship, and more. The author fled China in order to publish this book safely. The translation is a bit clunky at rare points but the narratives are so impactful that I couldn't put it down - every sentence seemed to teach me something about contemporary China, as dystopian and postapocalyptic as Wuhan was as ground zero. Parts almost read disturbingly like science fiction. I encourage people to read this; it's one of the most honest looks at modern China I think I've read.

[KjutBombelek (ksiazkowy_molik_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trudny reportaż, aż nie chce się wierzyć, że cała pandemia nie miałaby takiego obrotu spraw, gdyby nie powszechna dezinformacja.

Polecam przestać również posłowie, gdzie zostały streszczone tygodnie od rozpoczęcia koronawirusa w Chinach.

[Rob Hocking · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a Chinese dissident/writer who snuck into Wuhan in Spring 2020 and interviewed a bunch of people. It was included in the Economist's "list of books to read to understand Xi Jinping": https://www.economist.com/the-economi....

I am rarely disappointed by the Economist's book suggestions, but this time was an exception. While the concept of the book was interesting, the content was not, at least not to me, for the simple reason that I didn't learn anything surprising from any of the interviews. If you'd asked me to guess, prior to reading the book, what it was like to live through the Wuhan lockdown in early 2020, my guess would not have been far from the content of these interviews. Yes, the Communist Party initially suppressed knowledge of the virus, even going so far as to punish doctors who tried to warn people about it. Yes, this caused people to die who otherwise might have lived. Yes, the Communist Party was indifferent to the lives of ordinary Chinese. None of this is new information.

My favorite part of the book was probably the "editors notes" at the very end, which laid out a coherent timeline of the events in Wuhan.

[Periodic · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** I won an ARC of this book from Goodreads***

It took me a few months to get through this book because of how heavy the stories are. The author had a very no nonsense way of telling the facts and sometimes I needed a bit of time to digest what was being told to me. It's such a scary book because it's nonfiction. We all lived through 2020 but my horrorshow of a 2020 story pales in comparison to what an entire society at ground zero of the pandemic went through.

I think this is a book that I'll read again, when a bit more time has passed and I want to redigest the COVID-19 experience as a warning.
I'm not very patriotic, and I know the United States government lies about a lot of things, but the bald face lying that took place with the Chinese government is murderous.

[Annaleise Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains eight stories put together from interviews the author covertly conducted with people in Wuhan during their 76-day lockdown in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fear, confusion and grief is palpable. Like the blurb says, the book is "vivid and haunting... a unique piece of literary history". Well-written, heartbreaking and eye-opening. Highly recommended.

[aniasubcrania · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐
Chyba najlepszą częścią tej książki jest posłowie, będące kalendarium, dzień po dniu opisujące postępowanie pandemii.
Historie mieszkańców Wuhan zawierają trochę powtórzeń, czasem czegoś w nich brak, choć ciężko mi sprecyzować co. Być może to kwestia kulturowa.
Niemniej książkę warto przeczytać, jeśli jest się już na to gotowym.

[Karolina Konduracka · Rating 3 out of 5]

szczerze mówiąc nastawiałam się na trochę inną formę opisu sytuacji 😮‍💨😅

[Kinga Rześna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jakkolwiek ignorancko to zabrzmi, niektóre historie były dosyć „pospolite”. O ile pan nielegalnie podwożący ludzi na skuterze czy lekarz będący w samym środku walki z wirusem wprowadzili do tej książki coś niepowtarzalnego i wartego zgłębienia, o tyle niektóre sylwetki prezentowały raczej niewydolność i luki chińskiego systemu, które występowały niezależnie od pandemii. Mimo tego, ciekawie jest czytać o początkach covida z perspektywy kilku lat, kiedy już w zasadzie nie słyszy się na codzień żeby ktoś zachorował.
Ja sama nigdy nie zagłębiałam się w historie wuhańskich lekarzy czy aktywistów i dziennikarzy, więc ich wspomnienia były dla mnie nowe, natomiast są to nazwiska, które ludzie raczej kojarzą jeśli te 3-4 lata temu siedzieli w temacie.
Dla pobieżnego poznania chińskich realiów na tle wydarzeń 2020 roku - polecam, ale nastawiajcie się na dużą dawkę rodzin skazanych na ciężki los bez względu na koronawirusa, bo warunki życia już lata wstecz były dla nich problematyczne.

6,5⭐️

[Sandra || Tabibito no hon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niech nota od redaktora zostanie rozwinięta, a historie ludzi będą dodatkiem, to wtedy byłabym w pełni zadowolona.

Książka to historie zwykłych ludzi i ich tragicznych doświadczeń z pandemii, ale nie tylko - poznajemy też ich przeszłość. To książka bardziej o ludziach.

Jednak w każdym rozdziale w końcu docieramy do momentu wybuchu pandemii i możemy obserwować działania, które wtedy się rozpoczęły. Te doświadczenia dobrze obrazują niekompetencje i błędy - to przeraża.

Lecz oczekiwałam czegoś więcej, czegoś dla mnie nowego, tutaj wszystko było bardziej ogólnikowe i chyba mocniej skupiało się na społeczeństwo chińskim, nad działaniami rządu ogólnie, niż w pełni na pandemii. Hm.

Za to w pełni usatysfakcjonowała mnie nota od redaktora obrazująca rozbudowaną chronologię wydarzeń i skutki pandemii. To w pełni mnie zainteresowało.

[Joanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A raw and difficult read due to the topic and structure, yet I'm so glad I persevered (I needed emotional breaks, so you may need extended time to get through the book).

As a "true voice of China" the staccato-like style (not sure if style was purposeful or if due to translation) of these personal vignettes transports us into Wuhan during the early days of the outbreak.

Through these various points of view we experience inconsolable heartbreak, deep roots of resilience, and shocking insights into Chinese life and corresponding belief systems under "the Party" 's rule.

Thank you Xuecin and Hamilton for your courage to bring these stories to the world.

[Tomek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Książka ciekawa z dwóch powodów:
- opisuje jak wyglądało życie w Wuhan w szczycie pandemii i wszechogarniającą władzę partii
- pokazuje jak bardzo ulegliśmy chińskiej propagandzie na temat ich świetnego radzenia sobie z pandemią, mimo iż była to wierutna bzdura.

Natomiast poza tymi kwestiami reportaż nie porywa. 8 historii ludzi w różny sposób gnębionych przez chińskie władze. Poza realiami pandemii, takich historii są tysiące.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Świetnie napisany reportaż, który ukazuje jak chińskie wladze wykorzystały pandemię i przekształciły ogromne,ludzkie cierpienie na swoją korzyst. Uważam ze autor bardzo dobrze podszedł do nadal swiezego i delikatnego tematu, przede wszystkim przez wykorzystywanie relacji zwykłych mieszkańców Wuhanu. Polecam każdemu kogo interesuje temat covidu-19 i chińskiego reżimu.

[Julka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trudny reportaż, pokazujący realia walki z pandemią u jej początków w Wuhan. Niełatwa lektura, daje pewien ogląd na reżim panujący w Chinach, grę pozorów i zakłamanie przeczące etyce i moralności. Lektura okej, wolałabym żeby była ciut bardziej przystępna, a styl pisania albo tłumaczenie, nie wiem, stawało mi ością w gardle.

[Joshua Kalapos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The epilogue gives the detailed timeline and context of Covid in Wuhan. Would recommend reading it first to refresh the memory before going into the stories

[Marlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Martyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5