---
product_id: 113381784
title: "Life"
price: "€ 9.62"
currency: EUR
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.fi/products/113381784-life
store_origin: FI
region: Finland
---

# Life

**Price:** € 9.62
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- **What is this?** Life
- **How much does it cost?** € 9.62 with free shipping
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## Description

Life - Kindle edition by Yao, Lu, Abrahamsen, Eric, Estep, Chloe, Lu, Ming Ming, Abrahamsen, Eric. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Life.

Review: A Moving Portrait of Shifting Perspectives - I listened to the reading of Robert Wu of the translation by Chloe Estep on a Brilliance Audio compact disc. The 7 hour, 38 minute performance was well-done for the most part, though some of the character's voices were perhaps exaggerated, and the proper names are read with the tones appropriate to Chinese, a learning experience, even if somewhat jarring to this American listener. Jao Jialin, only son of older, illiterate peasants in a rural district, excelled at school and qualified for high school in the county seat. But he failed entry into university and one of the few jobs available is that of teacher in the village school. The story opens with his losing this position and the status that goes with it due to influence of the local chairman who maneuvers a friend's son into that position. Thereafter opportunities and misfortunes befall our hero until he makes a gamble that affects the people he loves most. The story is tragic, but like life, it is an ennobling tragedy. We are sadder, but wiser in the knowledge of life's limitations, and how we may regard what is valuable in life. Our Author has Shakespeare's ability to reflect multiple perspectives. The young and talented don't know how gifted they are and their impatience leads to premature decisions. The elder see the bigger picture and their expectations are tempered with patience and calculations based on experience. At the same time, both young and old are beset by feelings of entitlement, the young by their perceived talent and ability, the old by their having "paid dues;" thus each is confounded by social and political change which disrupts expectations and past investments. Our Author presents his characters with great sympathy. Even those who do wrong are at least made understandable. And above all, the interconnectedness of human happiness is laid bare. Jao Jialin's fortunes affect so many others, a burden he sometimes chooses to deny, and at other times he finds intolerably oppressive. The story acknowledges the tension between those who pursue the romantic (arbitrary) love and other loved ones (taken for granted) affected by this, giving the lie to the Western assertion that "who I love is my own business and no one else's." The rich detail gives a vivid picture of rural China in the 1980's. The older rural folk recall the traditions prior to Communism, in contrast with those in middle age whose mental outlook was formed by Communist ideas. The latter takes the form of communal work and communal sharing, but one of the developments (reforms) being implemented is rewarding according to productivity. Under this new reform productive young people might earn more than their elders who, in their youth, had yielded their greater productivity to the broader community. Parallels to American debates about Social Security can be discerned by the reader. These changes are, naturally, more advanced in the cities, and this makes a career in bureaucracy all the more attractive to Jao. But this would require leaving his parents behind. And his choice of a wife is affected. The irony of romance is powerfully portrayed by understatement and objective report. The woman who is won too easily appears likely to be boring in the long run; her very virtues of loyalty and social responsibility appear likely to hold one back from pursuing adventure. On the other hand, the woman who would leave her partner for you may just be willing to leave you should a more exciting prospect come along. And the very heightened expectations at the inception of a romantic relationship make for deep disillusionment down the road. This the elders understand but the young can only learn through bitter experience. The story is refreshingly free of ideology or dogmatism about politics. The party and its apparatus are simply there, like the post office or civic offices for most Americans. Village politics are affected much more by the web of relationships and shared local history than by any slogans or mass media. Corruption has been a fact of life for many years and even attempts to eliminate it have ramifications for the community conditioned by, and grown dependent upon, its structures. In one of the ironies of Life, Jao loses his first job due to due to string-pulling, and then gets a better job suited to his talents with great prospects, by the same means, unseen by himself. But he then loses this in a crackdown on such backroom arrangements, triggered by his own decision that offends someone he does not know. And one thing Communist ideology has not displaced is class-consciousness, particularly between the literate and the illiterate. The former are strongly tempted to look down on the latter while the latter have a more ambivalent perspective, some resentful of the better educated to the point of choosing illiteracy, while others take a more respectful attitude toward learning without forfeiting their own dignity. Although there is no hint of Christianity in this story, there is an abundance of grace. Most of the characters are people of good will, conditioned by cultural values, a kind of folk Confucianism, to respect others, especially the aged and other authorities. There is a becoming modesty about sex, an internalized self-discipline. This is part of the shame involved in being self-serving to the detriment of others. And there is forgiveness and acceptance. The suitor is willing to be accepted as the bride's second choice; the forgiveness and sympathy of villagers is extended to the village son returned home in defeat; the jilted lover wishes his ex and her new lover well; and above all, the dignity of people whatever their station in life, especially of those who work and benefit others even in the smallest ways. Life is bigger than our dreams, and this is a truth that transcends culture. As Cat Stevens wrote, "You will soon be there tomorrow but your dreams may not."
Review: Rural China from the Inside - A beautifully written saga with fascinating insights into the peasant life of China. The story is very easy to read and throws up lots of questions regarding the huge dependence small communities have on ‘what others’ think....a different take on keeping up with the Jones’s. The characters are so passionately portrayed in terms of their individual perceptions of life, that it makes one want to shake them at times. It a quick read and the style of writing suits the subject matter perfectly - I.e. simple. I Highly recommend this book for its portrayal of the China only an insider can communicate .

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | B07H7GK6YR |
| Accessibility  | Learn more |
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,552,556 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #372 in Chinese Literature #1,801 in Literary Sagas #7,387 in Saga Fiction |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (3,668) |
| Enhanced typesetting  | Enabled |
| File size  | 1.4 MB |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1542044639 |
| Language  | English |
| Page Flip  | Enabled |
| Print length  | 335 pages |
| Publication date  | March 19, 2019 |
| Publisher  | Amazon Crossing |
| Screen Reader  | Supported |
| Word Wise  | Enabled |
| X-Ray  | Enabled |

## Images

![Life - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/714OyG5wLmL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Moving Portrait of Shifting Perspectives
*by "***E on March 26, 2021*

I listened to the reading of Robert Wu of the translation by Chloe Estep on a Brilliance Audio compact disc. The 7 hour, 38 minute performance was well-done for the most part, though some of the character's voices were perhaps exaggerated, and the proper names are read with the tones appropriate to Chinese, a learning experience, even if somewhat jarring to this American listener. Jao Jialin, only son of older, illiterate peasants in a rural district, excelled at school and qualified for high school in the county seat. But he failed entry into university and one of the few jobs available is that of teacher in the village school. The story opens with his losing this position and the status that goes with it due to influence of the local chairman who maneuvers a friend's son into that position. Thereafter opportunities and misfortunes befall our hero until he makes a gamble that affects the people he loves most. The story is tragic, but like life, it is an ennobling tragedy. We are sadder, but wiser in the knowledge of life's limitations, and how we may regard what is valuable in life. Our Author has Shakespeare's ability to reflect multiple perspectives. The young and talented don't know how gifted they are and their impatience leads to premature decisions. The elder see the bigger picture and their expectations are tempered with patience and calculations based on experience. At the same time, both young and old are beset by feelings of entitlement, the young by their perceived talent and ability, the old by their having "paid dues;" thus each is confounded by social and political change which disrupts expectations and past investments. Our Author presents his characters with great sympathy. Even those who do wrong are at least made understandable. And above all, the interconnectedness of human happiness is laid bare. Jao Jialin's fortunes affect so many others, a burden he sometimes chooses to deny, and at other times he finds intolerably oppressive. The story acknowledges the tension between those who pursue the romantic (arbitrary) love and other loved ones (taken for granted) affected by this, giving the lie to the Western assertion that "who I love is my own business and no one else's." The rich detail gives a vivid picture of rural China in the 1980's. The older rural folk recall the traditions prior to Communism, in contrast with those in middle age whose mental outlook was formed by Communist ideas. The latter takes the form of communal work and communal sharing, but one of the developments (reforms) being implemented is rewarding according to productivity. Under this new reform productive young people might earn more than their elders who, in their youth, had yielded their greater productivity to the broader community. Parallels to American debates about Social Security can be discerned by the reader. These changes are, naturally, more advanced in the cities, and this makes a career in bureaucracy all the more attractive to Jao. But this would require leaving his parents behind. And his choice of a wife is affected. The irony of romance is powerfully portrayed by understatement and objective report. The woman who is won too easily appears likely to be boring in the long run; her very virtues of loyalty and social responsibility appear likely to hold one back from pursuing adventure. On the other hand, the woman who would leave her partner for you may just be willing to leave you should a more exciting prospect come along. And the very heightened expectations at the inception of a romantic relationship make for deep disillusionment down the road. This the elders understand but the young can only learn through bitter experience. The story is refreshingly free of ideology or dogmatism about politics. The party and its apparatus are simply there, like the post office or civic offices for most Americans. Village politics are affected much more by the web of relationships and shared local history than by any slogans or mass media. Corruption has been a fact of life for many years and even attempts to eliminate it have ramifications for the community conditioned by, and grown dependent upon, its structures. In one of the ironies of Life, Jao loses his first job due to due to string-pulling, and then gets a better job suited to his talents with great prospects, by the same means, unseen by himself. But he then loses this in a crackdown on such backroom arrangements, triggered by his own decision that offends someone he does not know. And one thing Communist ideology has not displaced is class-consciousness, particularly between the literate and the illiterate. The former are strongly tempted to look down on the latter while the latter have a more ambivalent perspective, some resentful of the better educated to the point of choosing illiteracy, while others take a more respectful attitude toward learning without forfeiting their own dignity. Although there is no hint of Christianity in this story, there is an abundance of grace. Most of the characters are people of good will, conditioned by cultural values, a kind of folk Confucianism, to respect others, especially the aged and other authorities. There is a becoming modesty about sex, an internalized self-discipline. This is part of the shame involved in being self-serving to the detriment of others. And there is forgiveness and acceptance. The suitor is willing to be accepted as the bride's second choice; the forgiveness and sympathy of villagers is extended to the village son returned home in defeat; the jilted lover wishes his ex and her new lover well; and above all, the dignity of people whatever their station in life, especially of those who work and benefit others even in the smallest ways. Life is bigger than our dreams, and this is a truth that transcends culture. As Cat Stevens wrote, "You will soon be there tomorrow but your dreams may not."

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rural China from the Inside
*by M***S on April 14, 2019*

A beautifully written saga with fascinating insights into the peasant life of China. The story is very easy to read and throws up lots of questions regarding the huge dependence small communities have on ‘what others’ think....a different take on keeping up with the Jones’s. The characters are so passionately portrayed in terms of their individual perceptions of life, that it makes one want to shake them at times. It a quick read and the style of writing suits the subject matter perfectly - I.e. simple. I Highly recommend this book for its portrayal of the China only an insider can communicate .

### ⭐⭐⭐ A light read
*by A***R on August 7, 2020*

Not a complex plot, I felt like reading through a soap opera. But given the time during which this piece of work was written and published, the simplicity is understandable.

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---

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*Last updated: 2026-02-22*