Corn

Name: Corn
ISBN: 9787020162239

Bi FeiyuPeople's Literature Publishing House · ChinaOct 2024

4.2

Word count: 172K words
Chapters: 10
ISBN: 9787020162239

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Summary

Corn is Bi Feiyu's most milestone-making representative work. It portrays the different temperaments, fates and life paths of three sisters—Yumi, Yuxiu and Yuyang—and reveals the ordinary yet singular relationships among the three sisters, and between them and the world around them and the era they live in. Through the three women's lives the novel opens a window onto family ties, circumstance and the times. The novel won the fourth Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011.

Editor's review

"Three Sisters" is a landmark work by Bi Feiyu, centered on the three sisters Yumi, Yuxiu, and Yuyang. It portrays their distinct personalities, choices, and life trajectories, as well as the complex relationships among them and with their surroundings and era. The novel's readability comes not from dramatic plot but from its meticulous observation of family power, women's circumstances, and the warmth and coldness of human relations: there is both connection and rift between the sisters, and individual fates are always entangled with rural ethics and historical change. The novel won the 4th Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011; this award information can serve as a reference for understanding its international influence, but should not replace one's own reading judgment. It suits readers willing to slow down and savor character psychology and linguistic precision; those seeking only light, fast-paced stories may find it oppressive.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers interested in contemporary Chinese literature who want to read a representative work
Readers interested in women's fate, family relationships, and rural ethics
Readers who enjoy close reading of character psychology, language texture, and period atmosphere
Chinese literature students or researchers and teachers who need to analyze contemporary fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light, humorous, fast-paced stories with strong plots
Readers hoping for clear inspirational answers or happy endings
Readers impatient with heavy realist themes and complex human relationships

Reading tips

First clarify the three sisters' personalities and choices, then compare the divergences in their fates
Notice who speaks within the family and who is arranged, and observe how power flows
Understand the characters within their historical context; resist judging them by today's standards
After finishing, revisit key turning points and mark details of psychological change

About the publisher

People's Literature Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

People's Literature Publishing House publishes across classical literature, foreign literature, documentary writing and folk literature, with 492 titles in its catalogue. Representative books range from the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms to Lao She's Teahouse and Longxu Ditch in the Selected Works of Lao She, as well as translated foreign literature such as Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, Dante's Divine Comedy and Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels, alongside documentary and fictional works including Primo Levi's If This Is a Man and João Guimarães Rosa's The Devil to Pay in the Backlands. Its authors include Chinese writers such as Lao She, translators such as Shen Emeri and Li Wenjun, and foreign authors such as James Wood. Overall, the house has a strong record in editing classic works and translating foreign literature, with a publishing character that bridges Chinese and foreign writing and values textual quality.

版权信息
新版序
序
第一部（上）玉米
第一部（中）玉米
第一部（下）玉米
第二部玉秀
第三部玉秧
后记一
后记二

FAQ

Does "Three Sisters" tell the story of just one person?

Not only. The novel revolves around the three sisters Yumi, Yuxiu, and Yuyang, portraying their different personalities and life paths, as well as the relationships among the sisters and with their surroundings and era. It is more like a set of mutually illuminating fates.

What major awards has this book won?

According to publishing information, the novel won the 4th Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011. The award can serve as a clue to the work's influence, but reading should still return to the text, focusing on the characters and language themselves.

Can I read this directly without having read other works by Bi Feiyu?

Yes. This is a standalone work; no prior preparation is needed. If you become interested in the author's style after reading, you can explore other works. On a first reading, don't seek a "standard answer"—just record your impressions and questions.

Is it a heavy read?

The work addresses women's circumstances, family power, and historical pressure, so it is not light overall, though it is not deliberately sentimental. If you currently want lighter reading, save it for another mood; if you are willing to read closely, you will appreciate the layers of character.

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About the author

Bi Feiyu Author · Chinese · 1964

Bi Feiyu, born in January 1964 in Xinghua, Jiangsu, is a contemporary Chinese writer and currently a professor at Nanjing University and chairman of the Jiangsu Writers Association. He began writing fiction in the mid-1980s, drawing much of his material from everyday life and individual destinies. His writing is delicate and attentive to character psychology and social relationships. Representative works such as Corn, Massage, and The Woman in the Lactation Period reflect his sustained concern with social reality; Massage won the 8th Mao Dun Literature Prize, and he has twice received the Lu Xun Literature Prize. His works are often classified as social fiction and have exerted a broad influence on the contemporary literary scene.