Synopses & Reviews
Geling Yan captivates readers once more in her breakthrough novel. This is the fantastical tale of Dan Dong, an unemployed factory worker whose life takes a series of unexpected twists after he discovers that, by posing as a journalist, he can eat exquisite gourmet meals for free at state-sponsored banquets. But the secrets he overhears at these events eventually lead Dan down a twisted, intrigue-laden path, and his subterfuge and his real identity become harder and harder to separate. When he becomes privy to a scandal that runs from the depths of society to its highest rungs, Dan must find a way to uncover the corruption without revealing the dangerous truth about himself.
Synopsis
Filled with luscious, exotic food imagery and candid insights, The Banquet Bug is the funny, poignant, and vivid story of Dan Dong, a factory worker who stumbles into the pampered life of a journalist in contemporary Beijing. He soon finds himself addicted to the insane luxury of the state- and corporate-sponsored banquets he attends, but when his disguise exposes him to a deep-rooted scandal, Dan's conscience compels him to act, taking him from the highest rungs of society to its most sordid depths.
Synopsis
From the acclaimed author of The Lost Daughter of Happiness comes a groundbreaking novel that will introduce readers to the little-known underworlds of contemporary China
Geling Yan captivates readers once more in her breakthrough novel. This is the fantastical tale of Dan Dong, an unemployed factory worker whose life takes a series of unexpected twists after he discovers that, by posing as a journalist, he can eat exquisite gourmet meals for free at state-sponsored banquets. But the secrets he overhears at these events eventually lead Dan down a twisted, intrigue-laden path, and his subterfuge and his real identity become harder and harder to separate. When he becomes privy to a scandal that runs from the depths of society to its highest rungs, Dan must find a way to uncover the corruption--without revealing the dangerous truth about himself.
About the Author
Geling Yan was born in Shanghai and began writing in the late 1970s as a journalist. Her first novel was published in China in 1985. Following the Tiananmen Square massacre, she left China for the United States. Since then she has written many short stories, including one that was made into the award-winning film Xiu Xiu The Sent-Down Girl. She lives in San Francisco and Africa.