Old Floating Cloud brings together two of Can Xue's early novellas, Yellow Mud Street and the titular Old Floating Cloud . Yellow Mud Street tells of a street, its people, and a strange event that happens there. The street is dilapidated, though it once saw better times. The "S" Machinery Factory, which used to run day and night, is rusty and decaying, though people still deceive themselves into thinking this factory is a fine place, the envy of "foreign devils" and an important connection with "the authorities." ...
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Old Floating Cloud brings together two of Can Xue's early novellas, Yellow Mud Street and the titular Old Floating Cloud . Yellow Mud Street tells of a street, its people, and a strange event that happens there. The street is dilapidated, though it once saw better times. The "S" Machinery Factory, which used to run day and night, is rusty and decaying, though people still deceive themselves into thinking this factory is a fine place, the envy of "foreign devils" and an important connection with "the authorities." One day, "a thing" appears. No one is sure if it is a person, a flash of light, or a cloud of will-o'-the-wisp. It prompts rumor, superstition, political slogans, and an investigation by the authorities. A chorus of paranoid preoccupations wind up and down Yellow Mud Street, in a series of muttered refrains that build to a screaming frenzy. Old Floating Cloud is the ruthlessly unsentimental story of a man who has an affair with his neighbor's wife. Can Xue describes the damage people do to each other, their obsessions, their lack of connection, and their attempts to exert power over one another. Lovers are not the only targets of Can Xue's biting humor. Resentment flares between parents and children, in-laws spy, and employees abase themselves before their bosses. Like Yellow Mud Street , this novella teems with insects, excrement, and distorted bodies--visceral reminders of our earthbound state.
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Add this copy of Old Floating Cloud: Two Novellas to cart. $15.72, very good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Northwestern University Press.
Add this copy of Old Floating Cloud: Two Novellas to cart. $15.95, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Northwestern University Press.
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Fair. Book is considered to be in acceptable condition. The actual cover image may not match the stock photo. Book may have one or more of the following defects: noticeable wear on the cover dust jacket or spine; curved dog eared or creased page s; writing or highlighting inside or on the edges; sticker s or other adhesive on cover; CD DVD may not be included; and book may be a former library copy.
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Add this copy of Old Floating Cloud: Two Novellas to cart. $81.04, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Northwestern University Press.