The Pearl Jacket and Other Stories: Flash Fiction from Contemporary China

"With its literary foundations rooted in the political protests and social satire of the early 20th century, Chinese flash fiction offers a fascinating integration of vernacular and contemporary styles: the voice of a civilization at the brink of a standing and unprecedented transformation, using new and vibrant media like underground magazines, text messages, and blogs." "This collection features over a hundred short stories written by some of China's most dynamic and versatile authors, Dong Rui's "The Pearl Jacket" offers a glimpse of the real and surreal in human evolution. "Butterfly Forever" brings an ancient Chinese literary motif into a startling modern context, while "Concerned Departments" mocks the staggering complexity of life in the new urban China."--BOOK JACKET.