Description
Book SynopsisA meditation on the meaning of life in an increasingly global world, from acclaimed Chinese-Canadian author Xue Yiwei. Set in modern-day Montreal,
Celia, Misoka, I is the story of a middle-aged Chinese man who has been living in the city for fifteen years. After the death of his wife, he begins to reflect on his past and how he has ended up alone in Canada, a solitary member of the Chinese diaspora. It is in this period of angst and uncertainty, during the most unusual of winters, that he meets two women by Beaver Lake, on Montreal's Mount Royal. They, too, have their own stories: stories of their own personal plights, which connect present to past, and West to East.
The distinct paths taken by these three characters Celia, Misoka, and I span continents and decades, but, whether by chance or design, converge in Montreal, like mysterious figures in an ancient Chinese Zen painting. After coming together, the three begin to examine who they are, where th
Trade ReviewHugely gifted, Xue Yiwei is a fresh and most distinctive voice in contemporary Chinese literature. I recommend him highly. * Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans *
Xue Yiwei is a maverick in contemporary Chinese literature. He stays alone and aloof, far away from restive crowds back in his homeland. For him, to write is to make a pilgrimage to his masters: Joyce, Borges, Calvino, Proust. As an admirer of his, I salute his courage, his stamina, and his love of solitude. * Ha Jin, National Book Award-winning novelist *
Celia, Misoka, I is about the importance of storytelling in this ‘age of chaos, marked by the collapse of authority, the destruction of the individual, and the disappearance of meaningful relationships.’ The narrative, no matter how fanciful or flighty, captures the possibility and promise of meaningful connection. * Los Angeles Review of Books *
Celia, Misoka, I shows the plight of modern men and women in the era of globalization through the suspenseful life stories of the three characters. Xue skillfully employs a narrative structure similar to that of a detective novel, in which the characters take turns to reveal the darkest memories of the enigmatic women. * World Literature Today *
This is an excellent novel. * The Modern Novel *
