HOME | BESTSELLERS | NEW RELEASES | PRICE WATCH | FICTION | BIOGRAPHIES | E-BOOKS |

The Eye of Jade Book
It’s hardly surprising that this beautifully turned novel about a strong-willed Chinese woman working as a private investigator in Beijing is such a delight: the cachet that accompanies most novels published by Picador is usually in place: as it most certainly is with Diane Wei Liang’s The Eye of Jade. What makes the novel particularly interesting is its refusal to be slotted into any one genre: it’s a literary novel, undoubtedly (the publisher’s imprint guarantees that); it’s also a crime novel, pushing satisfactorily most of the buttons that we expect in that field. And it’s a comedy: the sardonic humour involving the heroine’s fraught relations with those around her are perfectly judged. Mei, the protagonist, is an investigator. A friend of her mother, known as ‘Uncle … read more...Chen’, asks her to track down a Han-dynasty jade that vanished from a museum during the terrible upheavals of the Cultural Revolution. Was the jade a victim of the brutal, philistine Red Guards, ruthlessly shattering the great legacies of the past? Or are more complex subterfuges involved? As Mei digs deeper, she begins to unravel a series of labyrinthine mysteries – some with resonances even within her own family. Detective fiction is a much-plundered genre, both by genre practitioners and those with more literary aims – and it’s the latter writers who are more likely to come a cropper when attempting to reinvent the standard tropes of the field. But Diane Wei Liang avoids all such pitfalls. This is a provocative, intriguing and accomplished piece of writing. --Barry ForshawRead More read less...
from£N/A | RRP: * Excludes Voucher Code Discount Also available Used from £N/A
-
Amazon
Mei is a modern Chinese woman; she runs her own business in Beijing, working as a private investigator. One day, 'Uncle' Chen approaches Mei and asks her to find the Eye of Jade. A Han dynasty artefact the 'Eye of Jade' was taken from a museum during the years of the Cultural Revolution. This book offers a glimpse of city life in modern China.
-
Foyles
A detective story with a difference
- 0330447734
- 9780330447737
- Diane Wei Liang
- 21 March 2008
- Picador
- Paperback (Book)
- 240
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you click through any of the links below and make a purchase we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Click here to learn more.
Book Categories
- Art, Architecture & Photography
- Biography
- Business, Finance & Law
- Calendars, Diaries, Annuals & More
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computing & Internet
- Crime, Thrillers & Mystery
- Fiction
- Food & Drink
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Family & Lifestyle
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Humour
- Mind, Body & Spirit
- Music, Stage & Screen
- Poetry, Drama & Criticism
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science & Nature
- Science Fiction
- Scientific, Technical & Medical
- Society, Politics & Philosophy
- Sports, Hobbies & Games
- Travel & Holiday