Awards
New York Times Notable Book of 2015
Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of 2015
Winner of a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize
Staff Pick
There is a deep underlying spookiness to The Incarnations by Susan Barker that kept me on the edge of my seat and eager to devour the entire book to get at the core of the mystery. An unknown letter writer guides a Beijing taxi driver through a tour, via mysterious letters left in the cab, of the driver's purported past lives. The letters illustrate how the lives of the letter writer and the cab driver have intertwined over 1,000 years, during some of the greatest historical upheavals in Chinese history. Each of the lives is a fascinating story unto itself, each more wrenching than the one before, all interspersed with the cab driver's equally gripping current reality. The book is heartbreaking and amazing, and I now can't wait to read Susan Barker's other books. Recommended By Robin F., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Hailed by The New York Times for its “wildly ambitious...dazzling use of language” and “mesmerizing storytelling,” The Incarnations is a “brilliant, mind-expanding, and wildly original novel” (Chris Cleave) about a Beijing taxi driver whose past incarnations over one thousand years haunt him through searing letters sent by his mysterious soulmate.
"Who are you? you must be wondering. I am your soulmate, your old friend, and I have come back to this city of sixteen million in search of you."
So begins the first letter that falls into Wang’s lap as he flips down the visor in his taxi. The letters that follow are filled with the stories of Wang’s previous lives—from escaping a marriage to a spirit bride, to being a slave on the run from Genghis Khan, to living as a fisherman during the Opium Wars, and being a teenager on the Red Guard during the cultural revolution—bound to his mysterious “soulmate,” spanning one thousand years of betrayal and intrigue.
As the letters continue to appear seemingly out of thin air, Wang becomes convinced that someone is watching him—someone who claims to have known him for over one thousand years. And with each letter, Wang feels the watcher growing closer and closer…
Seamlessly weaving Chinese folklore, history, and literary classics, The Incarnations is a taut and gripping novel that sheds light on the cyclical nature of history as it hints that the past is never truly settled.
Review
“Barker makes Wang and his city as vividly real—and disturbing—as any of the other versions of China....One of the novel’s many structural pleasures is watching Barker slowly reveal the connections between Wang’s seemingly simple life and the other lives the letter writer reveals.” The Columbus Dispatch
Review
“Barker’s fluid prose makes of their tragic stories irresistible reading….The stories come alive via a veritable catalog of dark and desperate details. This ambitious novel traffics in intrigue and betrayal yet never loses its hypnotic grip.” Booklist (starred review)
Review
"[Barker] has smartly structured this intricate tale, and its mystery pulls us forward....The novel gains in power and polish as it progresses....Close to the end, I found myself stalling--prolonging suspense." Boston Globe
Review
“Perfect fodder for summer's waning, Barker's novel is grim and gripping, a yarn for the ages.” Interview Magazine
Review
“A perfect conclusion brings home the writer’s warning: ‘History is coming for you.’” New York Magazine (“7 Books You Need to Read This August”)
Review
“A sinuous tale of soul mates.” "All Things Considered,” NPR
Review
“Astonishing, amazing...It’s the small sagas of Chinese history contained in the letters, together with Barker’s vivid descriptions of today’s China, that set this book apart as a work of considerable, if unnerving, importance....Tightly wound, intensely wrought, fantastically exciting...Beguiling, readable, intense...The book’s stellar narrative carries us briskly along.” Simon Winchester, The New York Times Book Review
Review
“Wildly ambitious...[Barker’s] dazzling use of language and natural storytelling gifts shine from every paragraph. As with David Mitchell, whose books can similarly hopscotch through times and places, each episode stands alone as a terrific tale in itself. You can become so immersed in one story that you have to almost physically drag yourself away to commit to the next....Mesmerizing storytelling.” Sarah Lyall, The New York Times
Synopsis
New York Times Notable Book of 2015
Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of 2015
Finalist for the 2015 Kirkus Prize for Fiction
Winner of a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize
Hailed by The New York Times for its "wildly ambitious...dazzling use of language" and "mesmerizing storytelling," The Incarnations is a "brilliant, mind-expanding, and wildly original novel" (Chris Cleave) about a Beijing taxi driver whose past incarnations over one thousand years haunt him through searing letters sent by his mysterious soulmate.
Who are you? you must be wondering. I am your soulmate, your old friend, and I have come back to this city of sixteen million in search of you.
So begins the first letter that falls into Wang's lap as he flips down the visor in his taxi. The letters that follow are filled with the stories of Wang's previous lives--from escaping a marriage to a spirit bride, to being a slave on the run from Genghis Khan, to living as a fisherman during the Opium Wars, and being a teenager on the Red Guard during the cultural revolution--bound to his mysterious "soulmate," spanning one thousand years of betrayal and intrigue.
As the letters continue to appear seemingly out of thin air, Wang becomes convinced that someone is watching him--someone who claims to have known him for over a century. And with each letter, Wang feels the watcher growing closer and closer...
Seamlessly weaving Chinese folklore, history, literary classics, and the notion of reincarnation, this is a taut and gripping novel that reveals the cyclical nature of history as it hints that the past is never truly settled.
Synopsis
* New York Times Notable Book of the Year * Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Year * Finalist for the Kirkus Prize for Fiction * Winner of a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize * Hailed by The New York Times for its "wildly ambitious...dazzling use of language" and "mesmerizing storytelling," The Incarnations is a "brilliant, mind-expanding, and wildly original novel" (Chris Cleave) about a Beijing taxi driver whose past incarnations over one thousand years haunt him through searing letters sent by his mysterious soulmate.
Who are you? you must be wondering. I am your soulmate, your old friend, and I have come back to this city of sixteen million in search of you.
So begins the first letter that falls into Wang's lap as he flips down the visor in his taxi. The letters that follow are filled with the stories of Wang's previous lives--from escaping a marriage to a spirit bride, to being a slave on the run from Genghis Khan, to living as a fisherman during the Opium Wars, and being a teenager on the Red Guard during the cultural revolution--bound to his mysterious "soulmate," spanning one thousand years of betrayal and intrigue.
As the letters continue to appear seemingly out of thin air, Wang becomes convinced that someone is watching him--someone who claims to have known him for over a century. And with each letter, Wang feels the watcher growing closer and closer...
Seamlessly weaving Chinese folklore, history, literary classics, and the notion of reincarnation, this is a taut and gripping novel that reveals the cyclical nature of history as it hints that the past is never truly settled.
About the Author
Susan Barker is the author of Sayonara Bar and The Orientalist and the Ghost, both longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. She grew up in East London with a Chinese-Malyasian mother and a British father, and studied creative writing at the University of Manchester. She spent several years living in Beijing while working on The Incarnations, and currently lives in the UK.