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Le septième jour
Inspiré du mythe biblique de la création du monde, ce roman se déploie sur sept jours pendant lesquels dérive la mémoire du narrateur avant de lui offrir le repos des réponses espérées.
Yang Fei vient de mourir dans une explosion. Seul, extrêmement pauvre du temps de son vivant, il arrive sur l’autre rive sans pouvoir prétendre à la moindre sépulture.
Ainsi est-il condamné à errer là où certains semblent attendre, quand d’autres savent depuis toujours que misère et solitude les consignent à jamais dans ce paisible entre-deux. Déambulant en toute quiétude, Yang Fei croise des êtres depuis longtemps perdus, parvient à donner un sens aux incomplétudes de son existence sans jamais renoncer à l’idée de retrouver son père, ce cher vieillard qui une nuit s’échappa de leur logis en espérant ainsi adoucir leur si triste avenir.
Un roman d’une beauté prégnante où les êtres cheminent vers la douceur en convoquant pour mieux s’en déprendre leur vie de souffrances et d’offenses, dans une Chine d’aujourd’hui au pouvoir arrogant et brutal.
Yang Fei vient de mourir dans une explosion. Seul, extrêmement pauvre du temps de son vivant, il arrive sur l’autre rive sans pouvoir prétendre à la moindre sépulture.
Ainsi est-il condamné à errer là où certains semblent attendre, quand d’autres savent depuis toujours que misère et solitude les consignent à jamais dans ce paisible entre-deux. Déambulant en toute quiétude, Yang Fei croise des êtres depuis longtemps perdus, parvient à donner un sens aux incomplétudes de son existence sans jamais renoncer à l’idée de retrouver son père, ce cher vieillard qui une nuit s’échappa de leur logis en espérant ainsi adoucir leur si triste avenir.
Un roman d’une beauté prégnante où les êtres cheminent vers la douceur en convoquant pour mieux s’en déprendre leur vie de souffrances et d’offenses, dans une Chine d’aujourd’hui au pouvoir arrogant et brutal.
270 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
About the author
Yu Hua
102 books1,029 followersYu Hua (simplified Chinese: 余华; traditional Chinese: 余華; pinyin: Yú Huá) is a Chinese author, born April 3, 1960 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. He practiced dentistry for five years and later turned to fiction writing in 1983 because he didn't like "looking into people’s mouths the whole day." Writing allowed him to be more creative and flexible.[citation needed] He grew up during the Cultural Revolution and many of his stories and novels are marked by this experience. One of the distinctive characteristics of his work is his penchant for detailed descriptions of brutal violence.
Yu Hua has written four novels, six collections of stories, and three collections of essays. His most important novels are Chronicle of a Blood Merchant and To Live. The latter novel was adapted for film by Zhang Yimou. Because the film was banned in China, it instantly made the novel a bestseller and Yu Hua a worldwide celebrity. His novels have been translated into English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Persian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Hungarian, Serbian, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Malayalam and Turkish.
(from Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Hua_...
Yu Hua has written four novels, six collections of stories, and three collections of essays. His most important novels are Chronicle of a Blood Merchant and To Live. The latter novel was adapted for film by Zhang Yimou. Because the film was banned in China, it instantly made the novel a bestseller and Yu Hua a worldwide celebrity. His novels have been translated into English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Persian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Hungarian, Serbian, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Malayalam and Turkish.
(from Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Hua_...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 472 reviews
April 15, 2021
Önümüzdeki sonbahar-kış döneminde, bu kez Bahar Kılıç'ın Çince aslından çevirisiyle
Jaguar Kitap'ta...
Jaguar Kitap'ta...
December 31, 2017
Açıkcası bu kitabın Jaguar Kitap'ta okuyamadığım için mutsuz olduğumu belirterek başlamak istiyorum. Neyseki Chronicle of a blood merchant'u Jaguar'ın çevirtecek olduğunu belirtmek biraz olsa da beni rahatlatıyor. Kitabın ingilizce çevirimden olmasına rağmen Ju Hua'nın o büyülü anlamından kurtalamıyorsunuz. Yedinci Gün yaşamı çok farklı anlatan inanılmaz bir kitaptı..
Yua Hua, inanılmaz bir hikaye anlatıcısı. Bunu Türkçe'ye çevrilmiş bu ikinci kitabında da bir kez daha göz yaşları içinde ve yüzümde hafif gülümsemeyle bitirken anlamış oldum. İngilizceden çeviri olmasına rağmen çok başarılı.
Görülmeyenler Ülkesi
7.Gün, değişen Çin'in, yozlaşan insanların, mahale insanlarını anlatan sürreal bir kara mizah.
7.Gün rahatsız edici bir kitap. Kitap, ana karakteri Yang Fei'nin bir patlama sonucu diğer dünya geçmesiyle geçmesi ve krematoryumda yakılması için kendisine verilen randevuya geç kalmasıyla başlıyor. 7 günlük olaylar halinde, Fei hayatına, gördüğü, tanık olduğu ait kişilerin ve olayların öyküleri anlatmaya başlıyor.
7.Gün, politik eleştiri yanında inanılmaz kişisel bir anlatıma sahip. Hua'nın yaptığı insanlık ve kendi ülkesinin eleştirisi o kadar satirik ve lirik bir şekilde anlatılıyor ki, göz yaşlarınız akarken bir anda gülmeye başlıyorsunuz.
Sonuç
Özetle, çok ama çok sevdim. Okuduğum her sayfasında, Yang Fei'yi o kadar sevdim ki sisler ardından gidişini pek kabul edemiyor gibiyorum şu an. Yu Hua'nın Yaşamak kitabını okuduysanız ve sevdiyseniz, Çin edebiyatını da seviyorsanız, bu kitap kalbinize dokunacak.
İyi okumalar!
8/10
Yua Hua, inanılmaz bir hikaye anlatıcısı. Bunu Türkçe'ye çevrilmiş bu ikinci kitabında da bir kez daha göz yaşları içinde ve yüzümde hafif gülümsemeyle bitirken anlamış oldum. İngilizceden çeviri olmasına rağmen çok başarılı.
Görülmeyenler Ülkesi
7.Gün, değişen Çin'in, yozlaşan insanların, mahale insanlarını anlatan sürreal bir kara mizah.
7.Gün rahatsız edici bir kitap. Kitap, ana karakteri Yang Fei'nin bir patlama sonucu diğer dünya geçmesiyle geçmesi ve krematoryumda yakılması için kendisine verilen randevuya geç kalmasıyla başlıyor. 7 günlük olaylar halinde, Fei hayatına, gördüğü, tanık olduğu ait kişilerin ve olayların öyküleri anlatmaya başlıyor.
7.Gün, politik eleştiri yanında inanılmaz kişisel bir anlatıma sahip. Hua'nın yaptığı insanlık ve kendi ülkesinin eleştirisi o kadar satirik ve lirik bir şekilde anlatılıyor ki, göz yaşlarınız akarken bir anda gülmeye başlıyorsunuz.
Sonuç
Özetle, çok ama çok sevdim. Okuduğum her sayfasında, Yang Fei'yi o kadar sevdim ki sisler ardından gidişini pek kabul edemiyor gibiyorum şu an. Yu Hua'nın Yaşamak kitabını okuduysanız ve sevdiyseniz, Çin edebiyatını da seviyorsanız, bu kitap kalbinize dokunacak.
İyi okumalar!
8/10
December 4, 2022
أمش، توجد هُناك أوراق أشجار تلوح إليك بيدها، وهُناك حجر يبتسم في وجهك، وهُناك مياه نهر تُقدم لك التحية. ولا يوجد هناك فقر وبؤس، كما لا توجد الثروة والجاه، لا توجد أحزان، كما لا توجد آلام، لا يوجد حسد، ولا توجد كراهية أيضاً.. البشر هُناك ماتوا وهم علي قدم المساواة.
ويسأل: "أي مكان يوجد هُناك؟".
أقول: "هُناك توجد أرض الأموات الذين لم يُدفنوا.
هكذا ختم "يو هوا" روايته "اليوم السابع" الرواية التي تتحدث عن آلام وأوجاع الشعب الصيني ومعاناته.. وفي بعض الأحيان كُنت أظن أن الكاتب يتحدث عن مصر وليس عن الصين.. فكل الأوجاع مُتشابهة إلى حد كبير.
الإهمال الحكومي الذي يتسبب في حريق يلتهم العديد من الضحايا
المستشفيات الحكومية وتخلصها من الأطفال لأنهم نُفايات طبية!
الأكل الفاسد والمُسرطن
الفرق الشاسع بين الطبقات وبالأخص الغنية والدُنيا
كل شيء.. كل شيء تكلم عنه الكاتب توجد أمثلة كثيرة له في بلادنا.
- الرواية تتحدث عن "يانغ في" الذي توفي في حريق مطعم ووجد نفسه بدون قبر ولا يستطيع أن يصل إلى مكان الراحة الأبدية، ويبدأ في سرد تفاصيل حياته المريرة من لحظة ولادته حتى وفاته.
بدأ يتحدث عن كيف مات في البداية ثُم زواجه ثم يعود ويعود حتى لحظة ولادته وما حدث حينها جعله ينتقل من أمه وأبوه الذي هو من صلبهم إلى أباً آخر.. ولكن هذا الأب يهتم به ويُحبه ويُضحي بحياته ولا يرضى أن يتزوج من أجله.. وكان يخاف عليه حتى آخر لحظات حياته.
الرواية كانت جيدة جداً في وصفها وتدقيقها وعرضها للأوجاع بشكل مؤثر يجعلك تتمنى ألا يحدث لك هذا في حياتك أبداً.
من نُقط ضعف الرواية هي الملل في بعض الأحيان.. وأيضاً التكرار فالكاتب كان كثيراً ما يُكرر الأحداث في عديد من المواضع.
الترجمة كانت لا بأس بها ولكن كان بها بعض الأخطاء أيضاً ولكن لم تؤثر كثيراً.
في النهاية، "يو هوا" هو كاتب عظيم بلا شك واختياره أن ينتقد حكام بلاده بهذه الطريقة فهو اختيار مُمتاز.
December 1, 2016
Çok sevdim!!! Normalde bir kitabın favorilerimden biri olup olmadığını anlamak için üzerinden bir müddet geçmesini beklerim ama 'Yedinci Gün' için böyle bir zamana ihtiyacım yok. Bayıldım!
Yu Hua, Çağdaş Çin Edebiyatının en genç ustalarından biri. Türkçeye 'Yaşamak' isimli debut ve oldukça ses getirmiş romanı, yine 2016 senesi içinde Jaguar Kitap tarafından kazandırılmıştı. Keza Jaguar Kitap yazarın 'Kanını Satan Adam' isimli başka bir romanını da yayın programlarına aldıklarını bildirmişlerdi. Bunlara çok seviniyorken (Zira 'Yaşamak' başlı başına bir tanıklık, iyi bir kitaptır.) bir anda Alabanda Yayınları yazarın son kitaplarından biri olan (2013 tarihli) 'Yedinci Gün'ü piyasaya sürdü. Bu beklenmedik hamle eserin İngilizceden çevrildiğini öğrenmemle biraz sekteye uğramış olsa da, oldukça az eserin Türkçeleştirildiği Çin Edebiyatından bir örneğin kitaplığımda yerini alacağını bilmek (Her şeye rağmen) çok iyi gelmişti.
Şimdi kitabı okuduktan sonra söyleyebilirim ki, İngilizceden çevrilmiş olmasına rağmen çok leziz bir çeviri ve özen var kitapta. Yu Hua daha çok anlattığı öykünün içeriğinden yürüdüğü için büyük kayıpların yaşandığını da düşünmüyorum.
Kitaba gelirsem tekrar söyleyeyim, bayıldım! 'Yaşamak'ı okuyanlar bilir, orada daha çok Çin Toprak Reformu sırasında yaşanan yoksulluk ve yoksunluk anları temel alınır. Öykünün sefaletle ve acıyla olan ilişkisi okurken beni de oldukça yormuştu. Ancak 'Yedinci Gün' alakasız bir eser. Çağdaş Çin'de geçen, yine alegorik ögelerle süslenmiş, eğlenceli bir taşlama. Bir yandan arka planda Çin'in aşağılıklarını göz önüne sererken bir yandan da düşündürücü, mizahi bir ana öykü ortaya koyuyor.
Bu tarz gamsız kitapları çok seviyorum. Avrupa Edebiyatı etkisinde gelişmiş edebiyata alışmış biz okurlar için bu kendi yolunu bulma başarısına ulaşmış uzak ve orta ülkeler edebiyatları ilgimi çok çekiyor. Mo Yan'da da benzer bir güç var. Sade ve kurşun gibi bir öykünün istikametinde gelişen, biçemsel kaygıların arkaya atıldığı ama karşılığında özgün ve etkileyici öykülerin üretildiği ve ustalıkla örüldüğü bir anlayış.
Yu Hua'ya ve Çin Edebiyatına (Hala başlamamışsanız...) başlamak için kesinlikle en uygun tercih. İyi okumalar.
8.5/10
Yu Hua, Çağdaş Çin Edebiyatının en genç ustalarından biri. Türkçeye 'Yaşamak' isimli debut ve oldukça ses getirmiş romanı, yine 2016 senesi içinde Jaguar Kitap tarafından kazandırılmıştı. Keza Jaguar Kitap yazarın 'Kanını Satan Adam' isimli başka bir romanını da yayın programlarına aldıklarını bildirmişlerdi. Bunlara çok seviniyorken (Zira 'Yaşamak' başlı başına bir tanıklık, iyi bir kitaptır.) bir anda Alabanda Yayınları yazarın son kitaplarından biri olan (2013 tarihli) 'Yedinci Gün'ü piyasaya sürdü. Bu beklenmedik hamle eserin İngilizceden çevrildiğini öğrenmemle biraz sekteye uğramış olsa da, oldukça az eserin Türkçeleştirildiği Çin Edebiyatından bir örneğin kitaplığımda yerini alacağını bilmek (Her şeye rağmen) çok iyi gelmişti.
Şimdi kitabı okuduktan sonra söyleyebilirim ki, İngilizceden çevrilmiş olmasına rağmen çok leziz bir çeviri ve özen var kitapta. Yu Hua daha çok anlattığı öykünün içeriğinden yürüdüğü için büyük kayıpların yaşandığını da düşünmüyorum.
Kitaba gelirsem tekrar söyleyeyim, bayıldım! 'Yaşamak'ı okuyanlar bilir, orada daha çok Çin Toprak Reformu sırasında yaşanan yoksulluk ve yoksunluk anları temel alınır. Öykünün sefaletle ve acıyla olan ilişkisi okurken beni de oldukça yormuştu. Ancak 'Yedinci Gün' alakasız bir eser. Çağdaş Çin'de geçen, yine alegorik ögelerle süslenmiş, eğlenceli bir taşlama. Bir yandan arka planda Çin'in aşağılıklarını göz önüne sererken bir yandan da düşündürücü, mizahi bir ana öykü ortaya koyuyor.
Bu tarz gamsız kitapları çok seviyorum. Avrupa Edebiyatı etkisinde gelişmiş edebiyata alışmış biz okurlar için bu kendi yolunu bulma başarısına ulaşmış uzak ve orta ülkeler edebiyatları ilgimi çok çekiyor. Mo Yan'da da benzer bir güç var. Sade ve kurşun gibi bir öykünün istikametinde gelişen, biçemsel kaygıların arkaya atıldığı ama karşılığında özgün ve etkileyici öykülerin üretildiği ve ustalıkla örüldüğü bir anlayış.
Yu Hua'ya ve Çin Edebiyatına (Hala başlamamışsanız...) başlamak için kesinlikle en uygun tercih. İyi okumalar.
8.5/10
December 7, 2018
There's a pretty devastating critique of materialism here, set in an odd magical realism story about a guy who wakes up dead and slowly talks to people he used to know and remembers things about his life.
The book is divided into 7 days, and not every day landed with me.
My favorite days focused on the main character searching for his adoptive father and remembering their life together. There are some really touching scenes about how we choose our real family. I imagine those must read a lot edgier in China.
His reconciliation with his ex wife was also a highlight.
The book is relentlessly critical of people falling for empty materialism and status-seeking. I found all of that compelling. The vision of the afterlife that slowly emerges is a utopia where everyone is free to be good to each other in a beautiful world. The main character starts his journey into death all alone, with nobody to mourn him and no grave to go to. By the end, he's surrounded by likeminded skeletons in the same situation, all of them helping each other and living together to make a meaningful afterlife. It was great. When's the last time you read about positive skeletons becoming a big extended family?
The book is divided into 7 days, and not every day landed with me.
My favorite days focused on the main character searching for his adoptive father and remembering their life together. There are some really touching scenes about how we choose our real family. I imagine those must read a lot edgier in China.
His reconciliation with his ex wife was also a highlight.
The book is relentlessly critical of people falling for empty materialism and status-seeking. I found all of that compelling. The vision of the afterlife that slowly emerges is a utopia where everyone is free to be good to each other in a beautiful world. The main character starts his journey into death all alone, with nobody to mourn him and no grave to go to. By the end, he's surrounded by likeminded skeletons in the same situation, all of them helping each other and living together to make a meaningful afterlife. It was great. When's the last time you read about positive skeletons becoming a big extended family?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2015
3.5 stars
Following the dialectics of his courageous and hugely successful book China in Ten Words historically documenting the country's ungraceful leap out of the Cultural Revolution and the standoff that ended in bloodshed in the Tiananmen Square Massacre - Yu Hua resurrects his critical perspectives on China's rapid economic growth, society's suicide by over-consumerism and the country's uncontrolled catapult into modernization micromanaged by corrupt government officials in The Seventh Day:A Novel.
Tutor Yang Fei, awakens to foggy thoughts and surreal surroundings, unrecognizable even to himself, finding that his body is covered in wounds and his face rearranged in the style of a Picasso. He's prompted to be on time at the funeral parlor and drifts slowly into the realization that he is dead. Between the traffic and the bus that doesn't arrive, he is late anyway to the crematorium only to discover a packed waiting room. As with any democratic system, he must take a number for his turn while the newly arrived VIPs, gloating about their opulent burial plots with scenic views, are lavishly catered to first.
Without a grave, where will you go?
Rather than wait (not only is he inappropriately dressed for the occasion, he has no burial plot and no one on the otherside to bury him), Yang Fei ventures on a walkabout, a sort of deadman's odyssey in limbo which appears to me to be the transitional state of bardo as described in The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
As the deadman meanders through Hua's not-so-demonic but poetic vision of the afterlife, amidst blurry scenes of spiraling, windswept snow flakes that sometimes catch a reflective sunbeam, tame down and clear his path, Yang discovers the horrific manmade causes for the multitude of restless souls still floating aimlessly, unmourned and isolated within this lifeless realm. He hears reports of high-seated officials suppressing political scandals by any means necessary; the brutal abuse of prisoners held without sufficient grounds; a corrupt police force who acknowledge that "people who arrive at the public security bureau with backpacks are normally there to deliver bribes; " monstrous coverups even within the walls of medical establishments as the products of abortions are dumped into rivers: "population control is a national policy, after all... The twenty-seven babies were medical refuse.. and the hospital did nothing wrong: trash has to be dumped, after all; " deadlines on projects to raise the people's standard of living take precedent over consideration of those very lives, as the destruction of private homes proceed whilst occupied by their residents; the impoverished, reduced to living in abandoned, underground bomb shelters, are driven to make quick cash by donating their organs - too poor to even afford death since "dying is such an expensive business these days." Such hot-topics most surely make headlines in the media, possibly are even commonplace as the West is apt to think.
Hua sees the mutilation of China's greatest commodity - its people - by the jaws of the awakening Dragon too eager to feed its ferocious, insatiable appetite yet his usual prickly opinions of the aftershocks of TCR, as sharply observed in Boy in the Twilight: Stories of the Hidden China, are toned down in The Seventh Day: A Novel. Tales of poverty, displacement and complete isolation from loved ones serve to unveil fragments of memories for Yang, who could then reflect on his personal loss and severed relationship from his adopted father in a very touching story that almost seems like a personal meditation of the writer himself. Who knows? In any case, Hua is to be applauded for the whiff of sentimentality. He veers the reader more specifically toward the psycho-social effects on the human condition, on China's contemporary life that may well be hurdling to a disconsolate destiny.
How do I get the feeling that after death there's actually eternal life? If you have a grave, you have a resting place, and if you do not have a grave you gain eternal life - which do you think is better ?
Is China's life after TCR moving to such a fate - skeletal lifelessness, roaming in limbo without really achieving a satisfactory goal, that ultimate promise of 'rest in peace?'
Hua's metaphoric afterlife of lush landscapes, fruitful trees and flowers in bloom, may seem as enticing as the superficial, materialistic ideals the living are grasping at, that for a brief moment, his message seems to suggest that 'life in death' is paradise. There's no poverty here and no riches; there's no sorrow and no pain; no grievances and no hate... Here everyone finds equality in death. Not to be deceived. In keeping with the belief that the Creator found rest on 'The Seventh Day,' we see a glorious celebration of one such restless soul finally finding her peace, strong evidence that Hua has hope for China to be lifted out of its foggy haze, to shine in everlasting glory and in the end, wander far away from the land of the unburied.
I rated this 3.5 stars - although any theme of afterlife well told will always possess me, the powerful, over-the -top avante-garde expressionism that Hua is known for was missed in this work. Still, there are poetic imagery, sentiment and touches of humor in both of Hua's worlds, the living and the dead, to satiate his fans and anyone with an interest in China, present and future.
Read June 15th, 2015
Following the dialectics of his courageous and hugely successful book China in Ten Words historically documenting the country's ungraceful leap out of the Cultural Revolution and the standoff that ended in bloodshed in the Tiananmen Square Massacre - Yu Hua resurrects his critical perspectives on China's rapid economic growth, society's suicide by over-consumerism and the country's uncontrolled catapult into modernization micromanaged by corrupt government officials in The Seventh Day:A Novel.
Tutor Yang Fei, awakens to foggy thoughts and surreal surroundings, unrecognizable even to himself, finding that his body is covered in wounds and his face rearranged in the style of a Picasso. He's prompted to be on time at the funeral parlor and drifts slowly into the realization that he is dead. Between the traffic and the bus that doesn't arrive, he is late anyway to the crematorium only to discover a packed waiting room. As with any democratic system, he must take a number for his turn while the newly arrived VIPs, gloating about their opulent burial plots with scenic views, are lavishly catered to first.
Without a grave, where will you go?
Rather than wait (not only is he inappropriately dressed for the occasion, he has no burial plot and no one on the otherside to bury him), Yang Fei ventures on a walkabout, a sort of deadman's odyssey in limbo which appears to me to be the transitional state of bardo as described in The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
As the deadman meanders through Hua's not-so-demonic but poetic vision of the afterlife, amidst blurry scenes of spiraling, windswept snow flakes that sometimes catch a reflective sunbeam, tame down and clear his path, Yang discovers the horrific manmade causes for the multitude of restless souls still floating aimlessly, unmourned and isolated within this lifeless realm. He hears reports of high-seated officials suppressing political scandals by any means necessary; the brutal abuse of prisoners held without sufficient grounds; a corrupt police force who acknowledge that "people who arrive at the public security bureau with backpacks are normally there to deliver bribes; " monstrous coverups even within the walls of medical establishments as the products of abortions are dumped into rivers: "population control is a national policy, after all... The twenty-seven babies were medical refuse.. and the hospital did nothing wrong: trash has to be dumped, after all; " deadlines on projects to raise the people's standard of living take precedent over consideration of those very lives, as the destruction of private homes proceed whilst occupied by their residents; the impoverished, reduced to living in abandoned, underground bomb shelters, are driven to make quick cash by donating their organs - too poor to even afford death since "dying is such an expensive business these days." Such hot-topics most surely make headlines in the media, possibly are even commonplace as the West is apt to think.
Hua sees the mutilation of China's greatest commodity - its people - by the jaws of the awakening Dragon too eager to feed its ferocious, insatiable appetite yet his usual prickly opinions of the aftershocks of TCR, as sharply observed in Boy in the Twilight: Stories of the Hidden China, are toned down in The Seventh Day: A Novel. Tales of poverty, displacement and complete isolation from loved ones serve to unveil fragments of memories for Yang, who could then reflect on his personal loss and severed relationship from his adopted father in a very touching story that almost seems like a personal meditation of the writer himself. Who knows? In any case, Hua is to be applauded for the whiff of sentimentality. He veers the reader more specifically toward the psycho-social effects on the human condition, on China's contemporary life that may well be hurdling to a disconsolate destiny.
How do I get the feeling that after death there's actually eternal life? If you have a grave, you have a resting place, and if you do not have a grave you gain eternal life - which do you think is better ?
Is China's life after TCR moving to such a fate - skeletal lifelessness, roaming in limbo without really achieving a satisfactory goal, that ultimate promise of 'rest in peace?'
Hua's metaphoric afterlife of lush landscapes, fruitful trees and flowers in bloom, may seem as enticing as the superficial, materialistic ideals the living are grasping at, that for a brief moment, his message seems to suggest that 'life in death' is paradise. There's no poverty here and no riches; there's no sorrow and no pain; no grievances and no hate... Here everyone finds equality in death. Not to be deceived. In keeping with the belief that the Creator found rest on 'The Seventh Day,' we see a glorious celebration of one such restless soul finally finding her peace, strong evidence that Hua has hope for China to be lifted out of its foggy haze, to shine in everlasting glory and in the end, wander far away from the land of the unburied.
I rated this 3.5 stars - although any theme of afterlife well told will always possess me, the powerful, over-the -top avante-garde expressionism that Hua is known for was missed in this work. Still, there are poetic imagery, sentiment and touches of humor in both of Hua's worlds, the living and the dead, to satiate his fans and anyone with an interest in China, present and future.
Read June 15th, 2015
June 21, 2015
I am in love
and I am going to
stalk him
until I have read
every word
he has
ever
written.
and I am going to
stalk him
until I have read
every word
he has
ever
written.
March 24, 2019
Originale, immaginifico, accattivante, commovente, romantico, sarcastico, ironico, icona di "pietas", un libro che stupisce ed ammalia ad ogni pagina. Yu Hua entra per sempre nel gruppo dei miei autori più amati: Primo Levi, Mario Rigoni Stern, Israel J. Singer, Vikram Seth, Yu Hua.
January 1, 2024
3.75
Lần đầu mình được trải nghiệm văn học của Dư Hoa, thực sự là nó không tệ và nó lại khiến mình vô cùng xúc động. Khi hoàn thành xong cuốn sách mình tự hỏi, khi chết đi con người sẽ còn lại điều gì? Điều gì tạo nên một con người?
第七天 xoay quanh Dương Phi, người đàn ông bị lạc mất mẹ khi vừa chào đời, vợ thì bỏ đi, phải bán nhà và cửa hàng để chăm sóc cho người cha già nhưng rồi ông cũng bỏ đi không một lời nhắn. Khi tỉnh dậy ở một thế giới xa lạ Dương Phi nhận ra anh ta đã chết, từ đó Dương Phi bắt đầu tìm lại những ký ức khi cuộc đời của anh ta bắt đầu cho đến khi chết đi.
Trong hành trình bảy ngày của Dương Phi nó tràn ngập những cảm xúc khiến mình nghẹn ngào, về việc mối tình của Dương Phi với người vợ đã bỏ anh ta, về quá trình người cha nuôi Dương Kim Bưu tìm thấy và chăm sóc cho Dương Phi... Tất cả đều là những ký ức đẹp có buồn có. Những ký ức đó hiện lên sao lại vừa mong manh vừa rõ rệt như thế? Chỉ đọc về người cha Dương Kim Bưu cũng khiến mình nghẹn ngào, không ruột rà máu mủ, không giàu có nhưng ông hy sinh và yêu thương Dương Phi hết lòng.
Mọi khoảnh khắc đó khiến mình hiểu mọi thứ trên đời đều có sự sắp đặt, có lẽ việc cha con Dương Phi gặp nhau là hạnh phúc, là gian khổ? Mình hiểu nó là định mệnh, và nó sẽ diễn ra như thế.
Bên cạnh đó ngoài câu chuyện của Dương Phi, tất cả những người trong cuốn sách đều truyền tải những ý nghĩa về mặt tối của xã hội. Những cuộc bạo động, suy thoái và vô số hoạt động vô nhân tính của chính quyền nhầm cố tình che đậy, lấm liếm mọi chuyện. Sự suy đồi vô đạo đức của lãnh đạo cấp cao, các vấn nạn còn nhức nhối. Những phận đời khó khăn và nhỏ bé, mong muốn vương tới một cuộc sống đủ đầy giữa một xã hội đầy khốn nạn.
第七天 là một câu chuyện đầy cảm xúc, chứa đựng những chi tiết vừa ảo vừa thực đầy sáng tạo, mình thích cái cách Dư Hoa tạo nên một thế giới của người chết như thế - nơi dù vẫn có sự bất công tương phản với thế giới thực, nhưng vẫn có nơi rất công bằng, yên bình, không còn nỗi đau, tội lỗi và hận thù nào nữa. Ban đầu mình rất thích cách dẫn dắt truyện của tác giả, diễn biến của những ngày tiếp theo vô cùng cảm động và ý nghĩa, nhưng càng về cuối thì mình thấy truyện càng mất hứng thú... Đầu tiên là cuộc hội ngộ của Dương Phi ở cuối làm cho mình thấy tụt mood, nó không cảm động như mình nghĩ. Sự kiện của "Gã cảnh sát và cặp bi" cũng khiến mình khá ấn tượng vì mình tin Dư Hoa đã dựa theo một sự kiện có thật, chỉ là những sự kiện trong sách sắp xếp hơi lộn xộn, tự hỏi nó có thật không? Việc tác giả cứ nhắc đi nhắc lại một cặp đôi đã chết ra sao thế nào mãi khiến mình thấy dài dòng, rồi lại kết thúc truyện rất hụt hẫng.
Lúc chuẩn bị rời đi, tôi cảm thấy thiếu thiếu một cái gì đó, tôi đứng trong mưa tuyết suy nghĩ một lúc rồi mới nhớ ra đó chính là tấm băng đen. Tôi chỉ có một mình, sẽ không có ai đến thương tiếc tôi, tôi chỉ có thể thương tiếc chính mình.
Lần đầu mình được trải nghiệm văn học của Dư Hoa, thực sự là nó không tệ và nó lại khiến mình vô cùng xúc động. Khi hoàn thành xong cuốn sách mình tự hỏi, khi chết đi con người sẽ còn lại điều gì? Điều gì tạo nên một con người?
第七天 xoay quanh Dương Phi, người đàn ông bị lạc mất mẹ khi vừa chào đời, vợ thì bỏ đi, phải bán nhà và cửa hàng để chăm sóc cho người cha già nhưng rồi ông cũng bỏ đi không một lời nhắn. Khi tỉnh dậy ở một thế giới xa lạ Dương Phi nhận ra anh ta đã chết, từ đó Dương Phi bắt đầu tìm lại những ký ức khi cuộc đời của anh ta bắt đầu cho đến khi chết đi.
Tôi bật cười, và ông ấy cũng vậy. "Cha không sợ chết. Sau đó ông ấy bình tĩnh nói với tôi: "Cha không sợ gì hết. Điều cha sợ là sẽ không bao giờ gặp lại con nữa."
Ngày hôm sau, cha tôi rời đi không một lời từ biệt, ông ra đi không một lời nhắn, kéo lê cuộc đời nhỏ bé còn sót lại của mình khỏi tôi.
Trong hành trình bảy ngày của Dương Phi nó tràn ngập những cảm xúc khiến mình nghẹn ngào, về việc mối tình của Dương Phi với người vợ đã bỏ anh ta, về quá trình người cha nuôi Dương Kim Bưu tìm thấy và chăm sóc cho Dương Phi... Tất cả đều là những ký ức đẹp có buồn có. Những ký ức đó hiện lên sao lại vừa mong manh vừa rõ rệt như thế? Chỉ đọc về người cha Dương Kim Bưu cũng khiến mình nghẹn ngào, không ruột rà máu mủ, không giàu có nhưng ông hy sinh và yêu thương Dương Phi hết lòng.
“Một chiếc cà vạt có giá hai trăm tám mươi tệ.”
“Cha,” tôi nói, “cha nhìn nhầm rồi. Đó là hai nghìn tám trăm tệ.”
Vẻ mặt cha tôi không phải ngạc nhiên mà là buồn bã. Ông đang thiếu tiền và đứng đó chết lặng. Ngày trước tuy sống trong cảnh nghèo khó nhưng ông luôn có suy nghĩ là đủ cơm đủ áo vì phải tằn tiện, lúc đó anh mới thực sự hiểu rằng bản thân nghèo khó thế nào.
Mọi khoảnh khắc đó khiến mình hiểu mọi thứ trên đời đều có sự sắp đặt, có lẽ việc cha con Dương Phi gặp nhau là hạnh phúc, là gian khổ? Mình hiểu nó là định mệnh, và nó sẽ diễn ra như thế.
Bên cạnh đó ngoài câu chuyện của Dương Phi, tất cả những người trong cuốn sách đều truyền tải những ý nghĩa về mặt tối của xã hội. Những cuộc bạo động, suy thoái và vô số hoạt động vô nhân tính của chính quyền nhầm cố tình che đậy, lấm liếm mọi chuyện. Sự suy đồi vô đạo đức của lãnh đạo cấp cao, các vấn nạn còn nhức nhối. Những phận đời khó khăn và nhỏ bé, mong muốn vương tới một cuộc sống đủ đầy giữa một xã hội đầy khốn nạn.
Tôi nói: “Tại sao người thân của ông cũng muốn giấu?”
"Họ bị uy hiếp và nhận tiền bịt miệng." Ông lão nói: "Chúng tôi đã chết. Chỉ cần những người thân của chúng tôi có thể sống một cuộc sống bình yên, chúng tôi vẫn hài lòng."
第七天 là một câu chuyện đầy cảm xúc, chứa đựng những chi tiết vừa ảo vừa thực đầy sáng tạo, mình thích cái cách Dư Hoa tạo nên một thế giới của người chết như thế - nơi dù vẫn có sự bất công tương phản với thế giới thực, nhưng vẫn có nơi rất công bằng, yên bình, không còn nỗi đau, tội lỗi và hận thù nào nữa. Ban đầu mình rất thích cách dẫn dắt truyện của tác giả, diễn biến của những ngày tiếp theo vô cùng cảm động và ý nghĩa, nhưng càng về cuối thì mình thấy truyện càng mất hứng thú... Đầu tiên là cuộc hội ngộ của Dương Phi ở cuối làm cho mình thấy tụt mood, nó không cảm động như mình nghĩ. Sự kiện của "Gã cảnh sát và cặp bi" cũng khiến mình khá ấn tượng vì mình tin Dư Hoa đã dựa theo một sự kiện có thật, chỉ là những sự kiện trong sách sắp xếp hơi lộn xộn, tự hỏi nó có thật không? Việc tác giả cứ nhắc đi nhắc lại một cặp đôi đã chết ra sao thế nào mãi khiến mình thấy dài dòng, rồi lại kết thúc truyện rất hụt hẫng.
September 7, 2020
I really, really loved this book. It has some beautiful stories woven into the very original main story. Comprising the emotions of pain, sadness, love, and happiness, as well as realistic characters in a surreal world, this one is a beautiful, beautiful book. Definitely a must-read.
April 7, 2022
Dacă mă gândesc la tema paternității in literatura, singurul scriitor care imi vine in minte, fireste, e ‘nea Knausgaard (cel pe care n-am avut răbdare sa-l citesc). Si uite că de nicaieri (mai precis de pe gr) apare Yu Hua, cu al său roman de dimensiuni omenești, în care naratiunea se coaguleaza in jurul relatiei aparte dintre un tată adoptiv si un copil născut intre trenuri. Si e o relatie unică și atât de sensibilă, incat transcede orice barieră temporală sau spirituală.
Astfel, Yu ne plimbă prin China contemporană, penduland intre amintiri din lumea noastra si lumea de dincolo, acolo unde sufletele continuă să “trăiasca” o perioadă, criticând subtil absurditatea societații si “bunul mers” al acesteia.
Detaliile care mă vor urmări o perioadă au legătură cu:
- modul în care s-a născut Yang Fei ( naratorul)
- costul unui loc de veci -se ridica la aprox 33.000 yuani, o sumă imensa pentru o bună parte din populație ( un aspect important in economia cartii)
- vanzarea ilegala de organe
- modul in care reprezentanți ai instituțiilor statului luau masa “pe caiet” la restaurante, iar datoria era platita de firme private la sfarsit de an, evident, cele care asteptau anumite avize/aprobari din partea statului.
Astfel, Yu ne plimbă prin China contemporană, penduland intre amintiri din lumea noastra si lumea de dincolo, acolo unde sufletele continuă să “trăiasca” o perioadă, criticând subtil absurditatea societații si “bunul mers” al acesteia.
Detaliile care mă vor urmări o perioadă au legătură cu:
- modul în care s-a născut Yang Fei ( naratorul)
- costul unui loc de veci -se ridica la aprox 33.000 yuani, o sumă imensa pentru o bună parte din populație ( un aspect important in economia cartii)
- vanzarea ilegala de organe
- modul in care reprezentanți ai instituțiilor statului luau masa “pe caiet” la restaurante, iar datoria era platita de firme private la sfarsit de an, evident, cele care asteptau anumite avize/aprobari din partea statului.
April 13, 2020
parcheggi sotterranei
Yang Fei è appena morto, solo che non lo capisce subito, la nebbia lo avvolge ma dopo un po' si dirada, allora scopre di non poter passare oltre dal momento che non ha nessuno che si occupi dei riti funebri, farà così conoscenza con altri che sono nella sua situazione...
sette giorni dopo la morte in Cina si è praticamente considerati ancora in vita, ci si immagina che il defunto sosti nei suoi luoghi per salutare e per accomiatarsi lentamente, ma la sua reale dipartita dipende dal trattamento che i parenti daranno alle sue spoglie
il caso di Yang Fei è uno di quelli in cui nessuno può occuparsi dei riti, motivo per cui egli sosta nel burocratico ufficio, ex crematorio, ora camera ardente, su scomode sedie di plastica, non essendo un vip a cui sono destinate le poltrone, in attesa di essere cremato (in Cina è obbligatoria la cremazione) ma non potendo andare avanti si mette a girare intorno ai luoghi della sua vita e incontra altri che sono morti ma non ancora "passati"
metafora del "parcheggio" in cui i cinesi odierni vivono la loro vita, in attesa di passare a migliori condizioni sociali, in attesa di un cenno del Partito circa il loro destino come esseri umani o in attesa di espatriare, questo romanzo è in realtà una favola sui miti dell'aldilà cinese e sulla mancanza di speranza complessiva circa la possibilità che le cose migliorino, di qua come di là i cinesi non hanno nessuna possibilità di sfuggire alle condizioni di vita cui li condanna la loro nascita, come ai tempi dell'imperatore: se nasci povero muori povero, se ti dai da fare e imbrogli il prossimo puoi solo momentaneamente migliorare la tua condizione, ma finirai male in ogni caso...
Yang Fei è appena morto, solo che non lo capisce subito, la nebbia lo avvolge ma dopo un po' si dirada, allora scopre di non poter passare oltre dal momento che non ha nessuno che si occupi dei riti funebri, farà così conoscenza con altri che sono nella sua situazione...
sette giorni dopo la morte in Cina si è praticamente considerati ancora in vita, ci si immagina che il defunto sosti nei suoi luoghi per salutare e per accomiatarsi lentamente, ma la sua reale dipartita dipende dal trattamento che i parenti daranno alle sue spoglie
il caso di Yang Fei è uno di quelli in cui nessuno può occuparsi dei riti, motivo per cui egli sosta nel burocratico ufficio, ex crematorio, ora camera ardente, su scomode sedie di plastica, non essendo un vip a cui sono destinate le poltrone, in attesa di essere cremato (in Cina è obbligatoria la cremazione) ma non potendo andare avanti si mette a girare intorno ai luoghi della sua vita e incontra altri che sono morti ma non ancora "passati"
metafora del "parcheggio" in cui i cinesi odierni vivono la loro vita, in attesa di passare a migliori condizioni sociali, in attesa di un cenno del Partito circa il loro destino come esseri umani o in attesa di espatriare, questo romanzo è in realtà una favola sui miti dell'aldilà cinese e sulla mancanza di speranza complessiva circa la possibilità che le cose migliorino, di qua come di là i cinesi non hanno nessuna possibilità di sfuggire alle condizioni di vita cui li condanna la loro nascita, come ai tempi dell'imperatore: se nasci povero muori povero, se ti dai da fare e imbrogli il prossimo puoi solo momentaneamente migliorare la tua condizione, ma finirai male in ogni caso...
October 10, 2017
L'aldilà immaginato da Yu Hua è una sorta di Ade omerico dove i morti senza sepoltura e senza compianto vagano senza tregua, formando cori emananti pietas degni delle tragedie classiche.
Solo chi ha ricevuto le dovute esequie dai propri congiunti ha diritto a "riposare in pace", anche se che cosa significhi veramente non è dato sapere : qualcuno è mai tornato dal regno delle ombre a raccontarcelo? Qui, nell'interregno, le ombre hanno consistenza, un corpo visibile o brandelli di carne che a poco a poco si prosciugano e si sfanno fino a raggiungere la pura levigatezza dello scheletro.
In questo contesto si muove il protagonista, Yang Fei, il figlio del treno, aggirandosi alla ricerca dell'unica persona a cui vuole bene e che gli vuole bene: il suo padre putativo, mite, affabile e dolente.
Il loro legame è forte e imperituro, forse non può vincere la morte ma di sicuro la sa addolcire.
Altri personaggi si muovono intorno, altre storie amorose e drammatiche si intrecciano alla sua. Soavi, terribili e definitive.
E sullo sfondo la Cina. Grigia, indifferente, crudele; rispetto alla quale il mondo dei morti sembra essere da un lato ciò che soccombe e dall'altro ciò che dell'autentica essenza umana sopravvive.
Solo chi ha ricevuto le dovute esequie dai propri congiunti ha diritto a "riposare in pace", anche se che cosa significhi veramente non è dato sapere : qualcuno è mai tornato dal regno delle ombre a raccontarcelo? Qui, nell'interregno, le ombre hanno consistenza, un corpo visibile o brandelli di carne che a poco a poco si prosciugano e si sfanno fino a raggiungere la pura levigatezza dello scheletro.
In questo contesto si muove il protagonista, Yang Fei, il figlio del treno, aggirandosi alla ricerca dell'unica persona a cui vuole bene e che gli vuole bene: il suo padre putativo, mite, affabile e dolente.
Il loro legame è forte e imperituro, forse non può vincere la morte ma di sicuro la sa addolcire.
Altri personaggi si muovono intorno, altre storie amorose e drammatiche si intrecciano alla sua. Soavi, terribili e definitive.
E sullo sfondo la Cina. Grigia, indifferente, crudele; rispetto alla quale il mondo dei morti sembra essere da un lato ciò che soccombe e dall'altro ciò che dell'autentica essenza umana sopravvive.
January 22, 2021
Analizând-o, nu găsesc ceva cu adevărat special și memorabil. Poate subiectul, pe care eu nu l-am mai întâlnit. Totuși, mi-a făcut o mare și surprinzătoare plăcere să o citesc. Melancolică, înduioșătoare, ironică, realistă, tristă, romantică. Nu mă așteptam să fie atâtea trăiri și subiecte grave concentrate în cărticica asta.
,,Numai că sufletul meu era închis precum o odaie cu ușile și ferestrele bine ferecate. Deși pașii iubirii se auzeau prin fața ușii, trecând încolo și încoace, eu socoteam în sinea mea că iubirea se îndrepta în altă parte, căutându-i pe alții. Și totul până într-o bună zi, când pașii s-au oprit, iar apoi s-a auzit și un clopoțel răsunând la ușa sufletului meu."
,,Numai că sufletul meu era închis precum o odaie cu ușile și ferestrele bine ferecate. Deși pașii iubirii se auzeau prin fața ușii, trecând încolo și încoace, eu socoteam în sinea mea că iubirea se îndrepta în altă parte, căutându-i pe alții. Și totul până într-o bună zi, când pașii s-au oprit, iar apoi s-a auzit și un clopoțel răsunând la ușa sufletului meu."
January 29, 2015
What an unusual book. It’s told by Yang Fei, a 41-year-old Chinese man who has just died. The book covers the first seven days of his experiences in the afterlife, which isn’t perhaps how you or I might imagine it, but isn’t ridiculously fantastic either.
In the course of these seven days Yang Fei meets various deceased people he’s known, and hears about the events that led up to their deaths. He also hears about some people connected to the recently deceased, people who are still alive. You could see the book as a collection of short stories with a connecting theme. Not all of the stories directly link to the narrator, which makes you suspect their inclusion is purely because the author enjoyed the idea of telling these curious tales. (Hua has written a large number of short stories, most of which are less well-known than his novels, in the West.)
In spite of its loose structure the book is absorbing. Yang Fei is perhaps one of the most generous narrators you’re likely to meet. He was brought up by an equally generous young man who adopted him after he’d fallen out of a train as a new-born baby (through the toilet!) The story of his relationship with his ‘father’ is delightful and warm, something that is seemingly unusual in the society at large.
Loosely in the background we hear of politics, corruption, poverty, a lack of concern for people’s rights. But these aren’t the focus: Hua highlights the lives of ordinary people trying to work out their lives in a difficult world, yet there’s an optimism and joy pervading the book in spite of the quarrels and the constantly changing circumstances.
The book seems simple, straightforward. But the strange interconnections, the seemingly unrelated characters, the apparently random nature of death all continue to linger in the mind.
Commendation should also go the translator, Allan Barr, who's done a wonderful job.
In the course of these seven days Yang Fei meets various deceased people he’s known, and hears about the events that led up to their deaths. He also hears about some people connected to the recently deceased, people who are still alive. You could see the book as a collection of short stories with a connecting theme. Not all of the stories directly link to the narrator, which makes you suspect their inclusion is purely because the author enjoyed the idea of telling these curious tales. (Hua has written a large number of short stories, most of which are less well-known than his novels, in the West.)
In spite of its loose structure the book is absorbing. Yang Fei is perhaps one of the most generous narrators you’re likely to meet. He was brought up by an equally generous young man who adopted him after he’d fallen out of a train as a new-born baby (through the toilet!) The story of his relationship with his ‘father’ is delightful and warm, something that is seemingly unusual in the society at large.
Loosely in the background we hear of politics, corruption, poverty, a lack of concern for people’s rights. But these aren’t the focus: Hua highlights the lives of ordinary people trying to work out their lives in a difficult world, yet there’s an optimism and joy pervading the book in spite of the quarrels and the constantly changing circumstances.
The book seems simple, straightforward. But the strange interconnections, the seemingly unrelated characters, the apparently random nature of death all continue to linger in the mind.
Commendation should also go the translator, Allan Barr, who's done a wonderful job.
June 18, 2020
Il mio primo libro di Yu Hua e posso dire che in futuro leggerò altro di suo perché alcune parti mi sono piaciute moltissimo.
In breve, il protagonista, Yang Fei, è appena morto e noi lo seguiremo nell'aldilà per sette giorni. Non avendo una tomba si ritroverà nella terra dei morti senza sepoltura, dove rincontrerà alcune persone importanti della sua vita.
La prima metà del libro è molto bella, in particolare il secondo ed il terzo capitolo, incentrati rispettivamente sulla sua storia con l'ex moglie e con il padre adottivo. A questi due capitoli avrei dato 5 stelline.
Purtroppo il libro è anticlimatico e la seconda parte, per quanto gradevole, non è assolutamente all'altezza della prima; si concentra su una serie di personaggi che non mi hanno coinvolto particolarmente e che finiscono per diventare i "veri" protagonisti, come topina e fidanzato, la cui storia, che pure ha il merito di mostrare alcuni aspetti poco edificanti della Cina contemporanea, per me è stata un meh. A questa seconda parte non darei più di 3 stelline.
I temi sono moltissimi e, in poche pagine, Yu Hua riesce a creare un affresco (molto critico) della Cina contemporanea, un paese in cui i deboli, coloro che non riescono a stare al passo, soccombono e non sembra esserci quasi più spazio per la compassione e l'aiuto reciproco, almeno tra i vivi.
In breve, il protagonista, Yang Fei, è appena morto e noi lo seguiremo nell'aldilà per sette giorni. Non avendo una tomba si ritroverà nella terra dei morti senza sepoltura, dove rincontrerà alcune persone importanti della sua vita.
La prima metà del libro è molto bella, in particolare il secondo ed il terzo capitolo, incentrati rispettivamente sulla sua storia con l'ex moglie e con il padre adottivo. A questi due capitoli avrei dato 5 stelline.
Purtroppo il libro è anticlimatico e la seconda parte, per quanto gradevole, non è assolutamente all'altezza della prima; si concentra su una serie di personaggi che non mi hanno coinvolto particolarmente e che finiscono per diventare i "veri" protagonisti, come topina e fidanzato, la cui storia, che pure ha il merito di mostrare alcuni aspetti poco edificanti della Cina contemporanea, per me è stata un meh. A questa seconda parte non darei più di 3 stelline.
I temi sono moltissimi e, in poche pagine, Yu Hua riesce a creare un affresco (molto critico) della Cina contemporanea, un paese in cui i deboli, coloro che non riescono a stare al passo, soccombono e non sembra esserci quasi più spazio per la compassione e l'aiuto reciproco, almeno tra i vivi.
October 15, 2017
“Yaşamak” adlı eserini daha çok sevmiştim. Bu kitabı da oldukça ilginç ve farklı. Biraz fantastik, biraz uçuk kurgular olsa da gerçekçiliği hiç bırakmıyor. Aslında bir hikayeler resitali romandan çok. Yedi güne yedi ayrı hikaye ve her günde de farklı hikayecikler öylesine güzel birbirine bağlanıyor ki, sanki matematiksel bir formülle yazıyor Yu Hua. Çin yönetimine yönelik sert politik eleştiriler başta olmak üzere anlattığı her konu hayatımızın tam da içinde ve güncel. Kara mizah tarzında da olsa mizahi kısmı hep gölgede kalıyor, acı gerçeklerin tadı hep hissediliyor. Cümleler son derce basit ve kısa, sanki yazar hiç edebi kaygı duymuyorcasına yazmış, bu okumayı çok kolay kılıyor. Bence iddialı meslekdaşlarına da bir mesaj veriyor. Okunacaklar listesinde yerini almalı.
June 23, 2024
Impossibile non fare spoiler per commentare questo breve romanzo, la quarta di copertina dice anche troppo. Resta quindi da scoprire come è scritta questa storia e come è stato immaginato il contesto, tanta umanità e così tanta durezza.
"Niente parole, niente gesti, solo uno scambio di sorrisi muti. Sediamo in silenzio senza altro scopo se non avvertire che non siamo soli. Siamo insieme.
Sento la voce del fuoco, è una danza, e la voce dell'acqua, è un battito, sento la voce dell'erba, è un fruscio, sento la voce degli alberi, è un richiamo, sento la voce del vento, è un sibilo, sento la voce delle nuvole, è un'onda.
È come se mormorassero di aver conosciuto anche loro un destino beffardo, che si vogliono lasciare alle spalle. Sento un canto simile a quello dell'usignolo. Vola da me, tace, poi vola ancora da me..."
"Niente parole, niente gesti, solo uno scambio di sorrisi muti. Sediamo in silenzio senza altro scopo se non avvertire che non siamo soli. Siamo insieme.
Sento la voce del fuoco, è una danza, e la voce dell'acqua, è un battito, sento la voce dell'erba, è un fruscio, sento la voce degli alberi, è un richiamo, sento la voce del vento, è un sibilo, sento la voce delle nuvole, è un'onda.
È come se mormorassero di aver conosciuto anche loro un destino beffardo, che si vogliono lasciare alle spalle. Sento un canto simile a quello dell'usignolo. Vola da me, tace, poi vola ancora da me..."
December 14, 2019
Konusunu çok kibar ve insanı içine alarak anlatan bir kitaptı. Çok sevdim.
April 21, 2015
Often when I finish reading a novel, I throw the book down on the table/chair/floor in happy, manic exasperation, fired up and eager to do, to act. Sometimes, I can think of the future and leave satisfied. I can't say I felt that way when I finished The Seventh Day, but I loved it nonetheless.
I had previously read China in Ten Days, Yu Hua's nonfiction collection about his days growing up during the Chinese collective era, but I wasn't expecting a wonderful novel about death and satisfaction from the witty and humorous writer I previously met. The Seventh Day speaks about the line between life and death, and not just the transition, but the space in between life and death, past and future. According to the funeral custom that Yu Hua describes, a body must be cremated and buried in its own burial plot to move into the world of eternal rest. Yang Fei, the main character, is a specter coming to terms with the death of his father and former wife. He's stuck in limbo after death without a burial plot or cremation.
Yang Fei always lived in between past and future, existing without a plan and imbued with a murky past. When he discovers that those pasts and futures may exist, he doesn't know how to handle it. So he wanders through the mists of his semi-afterlife, communing with those integral to whom he is and looking for his father, while trying to find himself.
The novel is a fascinating commentary on how in China the relationship of money, power, happiness, and good deeds has changed. China's fascination with death dominates, but death isn't always a bad thing. It's inevitable, but not unpleasant. Not perfect, but permissible. Yu Hua captures that essence.
I had previously read China in Ten Days, Yu Hua's nonfiction collection about his days growing up during the Chinese collective era, but I wasn't expecting a wonderful novel about death and satisfaction from the witty and humorous writer I previously met. The Seventh Day speaks about the line between life and death, and not just the transition, but the space in between life and death, past and future. According to the funeral custom that Yu Hua describes, a body must be cremated and buried in its own burial plot to move into the world of eternal rest. Yang Fei, the main character, is a specter coming to terms with the death of his father and former wife. He's stuck in limbo after death without a burial plot or cremation.
Yang Fei always lived in between past and future, existing without a plan and imbued with a murky past. When he discovers that those pasts and futures may exist, he doesn't know how to handle it. So he wanders through the mists of his semi-afterlife, communing with those integral to whom he is and looking for his father, while trying to find himself.
The novel is a fascinating commentary on how in China the relationship of money, power, happiness, and good deeds has changed. China's fascination with death dominates, but death isn't always a bad thing. It's inevitable, but not unpleasant. Not perfect, but permissible. Yu Hua captures that essence.
December 30, 2020
L'anno è iniziato con un libro unico, "Giuda" di Amos Oz - eredità del 2019 - e finisce con un altro libro unico.
Forse l'unico adatto ad accompagnare la fine di quest'anno durissimo.
Pagine struggenti, un distillato di sentimenti umani e potenza onirica credo mai incontrata altrove, ma anche ironia e chiara voce di denuncia e protesta civile.
Yu Hua, perché ci ho messo così tanto a scoprirti?
Forse l'unico adatto ad accompagnare la fine di quest'anno durissimo.
Pagine struggenti, un distillato di sentimenti umani e potenza onirica credo mai incontrata altrove, ma anche ironia e chiara voce di denuncia e protesta civile.
Yu Hua, perché ci ho messo così tanto a scoprirti?
January 21, 2021
Such an interesting read, and a reflection - a sad one- on modern China. It follows the protagonist, Yang Fei, over the first seven days after his death at the age of 41. Without anyone to buy him a burial plot, Yang Fei cannot rest but must wander in a liminal space, where he visits meaningful places and people from his past. Public corruption and the class structure affect private lives and relationships in tragic ways. It's a society where poor people live in hovels and sell their organs, police openly accept bribes, and homes are destroyed. Yang Fei and other characters still have a certain purity of feeling and kindness towards those they love (or come to love in the afterlife), even if during their lifetimes things were messed up by circumstance. In the liminal space they occupy after death, they are able to make some peace with each other. Incredibly vivid images, very thought-provoking. I have visited a couple of exhibitions by Ai Weiwei over the years, and reading this novel made me think of them again, particularly his work of remembrance about an earthquake in which a shoddily built school collapsed.
July 28, 2023
Un'altra storia che è volata via in un lampo, e che nonostante trattasse di morte,lo fa in uno stile surreale,magico,semplice e lineare. Una critica sottile e ben riuscita al sistema governativo cinese,anche se leggere di tante morti diverse un po' appesantisce la scrittura e l'animo del lettore. Ma l' ho trovato originale(e a tratti paradossale,ma prendere il numero per la cremazione?e le sedie di plastica per i morti normali e le poltrone per i vip?) le descrizioni magiche nell' aldilà e minuziose,nonché la rievocazione dei ricordi del protagonista in prima persona,hanno reso piacevole la lettura, certo,se fosse stato più lungo sarebbe stato troppo,ma l'autore ha saputo fermarsi.
April 11, 2023
Yu Hua is an author that I really like, but in my opinion, this is not his best work.
A guy finds himself dead, and this book details his experience in the first seven days after his death.
Right off the bat, we are seeing elements of magical realism, and Yu, a master of control over prose, does a great job mixing the matter-of-fact tone with the highly absurd circumstances to pull the readers into the bizarre afterworld that he constructs, where one has to drag one’s own deceased ass to the crematorium, then gets a number and lines up. Oh, you also might get some judging looks if you don’t get a “ make over” (”整容” not sure if it’s the correct English translation in this context?) to fix your face to make it more presentable!
Brutal ! I thought we got to just rest in peace?
This is actually an amazing premise, one that Yu executes so well in the first chapter, kafkaesque with a pinch of humour !
What I find both interesting and a bit perplexing here, though, is that Yu chooses to quote the following from Old Testament to start the book and set its tone.
“The Seventh Day
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.Old Testament · Genesis”
In my personal opinion, to start the book with a description of the Chinese tradition “ Touqi” (头七）might be a much better choice, as it connects to the story more.
The Old Testament quote, apart from appearing in the beginning, is not really structurally or thematically echoed anywhere else in the book.
Some explanation on Touqi( 头七）: a tradition in China where people mourn the deceased for seven days, and it is said that the ghosts of the dead would wander back to the world of the living on those seven days, which is exactly what the protagonist does.
I also thought it would be more fitting than Old Testament as this book is very uniquely “ Chinese “ . I would argue it’s even more so than To Live and Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, which are also uniquely Chinese in that they are set in particular time periods in China and reflect the lives ordinary people lead in those periods . However, both of books fundamentally are also about humanity, human love and resilience that can be universally appreciated. The Seventh Day, on the other hand, is the most satirical of the three and addresses issues that are more relevant to present day China. To start it with a tradition unique to China might fit the tone better?
(BUT…. I am just a nobody who struggles to string a grammatically correct sentence together with no background in literature , while Yu Hua is , you know , Yu Hua!
so this is just my silly personal opinion, there might be something that I have totally missed! )
The protagonist, recounts the story of his failed marriage and, most movingly, his upbringing with his adoptive father, who, after being diagnosed of cancer and feeling guilty about the financial burden the cancer treatment imposed on his son, leaves his son and disappears.
This is what Yu does the best, using simple rustic language to weave a story that’s devastatingly gut-wrenching while accentuating humanity and love.
However, as much as I love seeing authors going out of their comfort zone and experimenting , I find the rest of the plot lacking in depth and the characters flat.
So the protagonist goes on to meet people who have recently died and whose deaths have been on the news, which includes:
The death of his ex-wife who kills herself after getting involved in a scandal; a girl who lives in poverty with her boyfriend who kills herself after finding out the iPhone the boyfriend got her is a fake; the boyfriend who is overcome with guilt and sells his kidney to buy the girl a spot in the cemetery; the mother figure of the protagonist who dies in a car accident after exposing a scandal in the local hospital; the whole family of a struggling family restaurant killed in a fire; a cop killed by a prostitute and more …
A lot right ? Well that’s exactly my issue with the book.
While I appreciate Yu’s social commentary, and all the issues brought up are the issues that deserve the public’s attention, it’s just felt too rushed and crammed …and too superficial?
This is a book that left me with mixed feelings, I loved how nuanced the writing is, I loved the absurdity, but too much has been crammed into one book and seven days to make it a work of great literature.
If you are interested in Chinese literature, I would still recommend the book, as it is still an engaging read from a great author.
3.5/ 5
Quotes:
我沿着光芒般的铁轨向前走去，寻找那间铁轨旁边摇摇晃晃的小屋，那里有很多我成长的故事。我的前面是雨雪，雨雪的前面是层层叠叠的高楼，高楼有着星星点点的黑暗窗户。我走向它们时，它们正在后退，我意识到那个世界正在渐渐离去。
后来他在我的生活里悄然离去之后，我常常会心酸地想起这个夏天早晨站台上的情景，我在他二十一岁的时候突然闯进他的生活，而且完全挤满他的生活，他本来应有的幸福一点也挤不进来了。当他含辛茹苦把我养育成人，我却不知不觉把他抛弃在站台上。
我也笑了。十多年前，他们两个相隔半年来到这里，他们之间的仇恨没有越过生与死的边境线，仇恨被阻挡在了那个离去的世界里。
我在静默的围坐里听到火的声音，是舞动声；听到水的声音，是敲击声；听到草的声音，是摇曳声；听到树的声音，是呼唤声；听到风的声音，是沙沙声；听到云的声音，是漂浮声。
这些声音仿佛是在向我们倾诉，它们也是命运多舛，它们也是不愿回首。然后，我听到夜莺般的歌声飞来了，飞过来一段，停顿一下，又飞过来一段……
我听到一个耳语般的声音：“你来了。”
他惊讶地向我转过身来，疑惑的表情似乎是在向我询问。我对他说，走过去吧，那里树叶会向你招手，石头会向你微笑，河水会向你问候。那里没有贫贱也没有富贵，没有悲伤也没有疼痛，没有仇也没有恨……那里人人死而平等。
他问：“那是什么地方？”
我说：“死无葬身之地。”
A guy finds himself dead, and this book details his experience in the first seven days after his death.
Right off the bat, we are seeing elements of magical realism, and Yu, a master of control over prose, does a great job mixing the matter-of-fact tone with the highly absurd circumstances to pull the readers into the bizarre afterworld that he constructs, where one has to drag one’s own deceased ass to the crematorium, then gets a number and lines up. Oh, you also might get some judging looks if you don’t get a “ make over” (”整容” not sure if it’s the correct English translation in this context?) to fix your face to make it more presentable!
Brutal ! I thought we got to just rest in peace?
This is actually an amazing premise, one that Yu executes so well in the first chapter, kafkaesque with a pinch of humour !
What I find both interesting and a bit perplexing here, though, is that Yu chooses to quote the following from Old Testament to start the book and set its tone.
“The Seventh Day
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.Old Testament · Genesis”
In my personal opinion, to start the book with a description of the Chinese tradition “ Touqi” (头七）might be a much better choice, as it connects to the story more.
The Old Testament quote, apart from appearing in the beginning, is not really structurally or thematically echoed anywhere else in the book.
Some explanation on Touqi( 头七）: a tradition in China where people mourn the deceased for seven days, and it is said that the ghosts of the dead would wander back to the world of the living on those seven days, which is exactly what the protagonist does.
I also thought it would be more fitting than Old Testament as this book is very uniquely “ Chinese “ . I would argue it’s even more so than To Live and Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, which are also uniquely Chinese in that they are set in particular time periods in China and reflect the lives ordinary people lead in those periods . However, both of books fundamentally are also about humanity, human love and resilience that can be universally appreciated. The Seventh Day, on the other hand, is the most satirical of the three and addresses issues that are more relevant to present day China. To start it with a tradition unique to China might fit the tone better?
(BUT…. I am just a nobody who struggles to string a grammatically correct sentence together with no background in literature , while Yu Hua is , you know , Yu Hua!
so this is just my silly personal opinion, there might be something that I have totally missed! )
The protagonist, recounts the story of his failed marriage and, most movingly, his upbringing with his adoptive father, who, after being diagnosed of cancer and feeling guilty about the financial burden the cancer treatment imposed on his son, leaves his son and disappears.
This is what Yu does the best, using simple rustic language to weave a story that’s devastatingly gut-wrenching while accentuating humanity and love.
However, as much as I love seeing authors going out of their comfort zone and experimenting , I find the rest of the plot lacking in depth and the characters flat.
So the protagonist goes on to meet people who have recently died and whose deaths have been on the news, which includes:
The death of his ex-wife who kills herself after getting involved in a scandal; a girl who lives in poverty with her boyfriend who kills herself after finding out the iPhone the boyfriend got her is a fake; the boyfriend who is overcome with guilt and sells his kidney to buy the girl a spot in the cemetery; the mother figure of the protagonist who dies in a car accident after exposing a scandal in the local hospital; the whole family of a struggling family restaurant killed in a fire; a cop killed by a prostitute and more …
A lot right ? Well that’s exactly my issue with the book.
While I appreciate Yu’s social commentary, and all the issues brought up are the issues that deserve the public’s attention, it’s just felt too rushed and crammed …and too superficial?
This is a book that left me with mixed feelings, I loved how nuanced the writing is, I loved the absurdity, but too much has been crammed into one book and seven days to make it a work of great literature.
If you are interested in Chinese literature, I would still recommend the book, as it is still an engaging read from a great author.
3.5/ 5
Quotes:
我沿着光芒般的铁轨向前走去，寻找那间铁轨旁边摇摇晃晃的小屋，那里有很多我成长的故事。我的前面是雨雪，雨雪的前面是层层叠叠的高楼，高楼有着星星点点的黑暗窗户。我走向它们时，它们正在后退，我意识到那个世界正在渐渐离去。
后来他在我的生活里悄然离去之后，我常常会心酸地想起这个夏天早晨站台上的情景，我在他二十一岁的时候突然闯进他的生活，而且完全挤满他的生活，他本来应有的幸福一点也挤不进来了。当他含辛茹苦把我养育成人，我却不知不觉把他抛弃在站台上。
我也笑了。十多年前，他们两个相隔半年来到这里，他们之间的仇恨没有越过生与死的边境线，仇恨被阻挡在了那个离去的世界里。
我在静默的围坐里听到火的声音，是舞动声；听到水的声音，是敲击声；听到草的声音，是摇曳声；听到树的声音，是呼唤声；听到风的声音，是沙沙声；听到云的声音，是漂浮声。
这些声音仿佛是在向我们倾诉，它们也是命运多舛，它们也是不愿回首。然后，我听到夜莺般的歌声飞来了，飞过来一段，停顿一下，又飞过来一段……
我听到一个耳语般的声音：“你来了。”
他惊讶地向我转过身来，疑惑的表情似乎是在向我询问。我对他说，走过去吧，那里树叶会向你招手，石头会向你微笑，河水会向你问候。那里没有贫贱也没有富贵，没有悲伤也没有疼痛，没有仇也没有恨……那里人人死而平等。
他问：“那是什么地方？”
我说：“死无葬身之地。”
March 20, 2019
Una sorpresa questo romanzo! Conoscevo già l'autore di cui ho letto Brothers e mi aveva già fatto una buona impressione ai tempi. Ora con quest'altra lettura non posso che confermare l'opinione che me ne ero fatta.
Mi piace soprattutto lo stile di Yu Hua. Riesce ad essere umoristico, profondo e immensamente caustico nello stesso tempo.
In questo romanzo le critiche nei confronti della Cina contemporanea non mancano di certo. L'immagine più atroce è quella dei feti abortiti per la legge sul figlio unico che galleggiano nel fiume e vengono trattati come immondizia.
Accanto alla critica politica troviamo anche una critica sociale sui costumi odierni. C'è chi non ha i soldi per mangiare, ma desidera assolutamente il nuovo modello di iPhone. C'è chi occulta i cadaveri per ridurre la portata mediatica di un incendio in un centro commerciale. C'è chi vede demolita la propria casa, quando addirittura non viene travolto dalle macerie. Su tutto domina una corruzione tentacolare che abbraccia ogni ambito del potere.
E chi pensa che da morti le differenze sociali scompaiano si sbaglia di grosso perché c'è chi ha una tomba e quindi può riposare in pace e chi invece continua a vagare perché non ha parenti che possano pagargli una degna sepoltura. Insomma, le tribolazioni non finiscono mai!
Mi piace soprattutto lo stile di Yu Hua. Riesce ad essere umoristico, profondo e immensamente caustico nello stesso tempo.
In questo romanzo le critiche nei confronti della Cina contemporanea non mancano di certo. L'immagine più atroce è quella dei feti abortiti per la legge sul figlio unico che galleggiano nel fiume e vengono trattati come immondizia.
Accanto alla critica politica troviamo anche una critica sociale sui costumi odierni. C'è chi non ha i soldi per mangiare, ma desidera assolutamente il nuovo modello di iPhone. C'è chi occulta i cadaveri per ridurre la portata mediatica di un incendio in un centro commerciale. C'è chi vede demolita la propria casa, quando addirittura non viene travolto dalle macerie. Su tutto domina una corruzione tentacolare che abbraccia ogni ambito del potere.
E chi pensa che da morti le differenze sociali scompaiano si sbaglia di grosso perché c'è chi ha una tomba e quindi può riposare in pace e chi invece continua a vagare perché non ha parenti che possano pagargli una degna sepoltura. Insomma, le tribolazioni non finiscono mai!
April 11, 2018
Yu Hua hikaye anlatmayı biliyor :) İlk okuduğum kitabı Yaşamak'ta da , Yedinci Gün'de de çok iyi bir hikaye anlatıcısı olduğunu gösteriyor. Asıl alanı öykü yazarlığı gibi geldi bana ama araştırmadım emin değilim.
Yedinci Gün'de bir ana hikaye ve bu hikayeye bağlı yan öyküler var, bağlantıları çok güzel kurgulamış yazar. Doğuya has o mistisizm, gerçeküstücülük baştan sona yer yer devam ediyor. Yine doğu kültürlerinde görünen inanış biçimleri de hikayeye eşlik ediyor. Bu arada bizim kültürümüze yakın bir kültür aslında Çin kültürü. Örneğin özellikle taşra kültüründe evi olmayana kız verilmek istenmemesi Çin'de de yaygınmış :)
Sonuç olarak kolay okunan, son derece akıcı ancak edebi değer taşıyan bir metin okumak isterseniz sizleri böyle alalım. Kötü tarafıysa çabucak bitmesi.
Yedinci Gün'de bir ana hikaye ve bu hikayeye bağlı yan öyküler var, bağlantıları çok güzel kurgulamış yazar. Doğuya has o mistisizm, gerçeküstücülük baştan sona yer yer devam ediyor. Yine doğu kültürlerinde görünen inanış biçimleri de hikayeye eşlik ediyor. Bu arada bizim kültürümüze yakın bir kültür aslında Çin kültürü. Örneğin özellikle taşra kültüründe evi olmayana kız verilmek istenmemesi Çin'de de yaygınmış :)
Sonuç olarak kolay okunan, son derece akıcı ancak edebi değer taşıyan bir metin okumak isterseniz sizleri böyle alalım. Kötü tarafıysa çabucak bitmesi.
December 8, 2018
"Ölümden korkmuyorum," dedi sakin bir biçimde. "Hem de hiç korkmuyorum. Benim korktuğum, seni görememek."
//
Yalın, çarpıcı ve duygusal.
Yu Hua'nın kalemine ve kara mizahına hayran olmamak hakikaten imkansız.
Peki okuduğum üç kitabının arasından favorim açık ara Yedinci Gün oldu desem?
Yahu bayıldım, BA YIL DIM!
//
Yalın, çarpıcı ve duygusal.
Yu Hua'nın kalemine ve kara mizahına hayran olmamak hakikaten imkansız.
Peki okuduğum üç kitabının arasından favorim açık ara Yedinci Gün oldu desem?
Yahu bayıldım, BA YIL DIM!
March 20, 2020
Delicato e commovente racconto della vita dopo la morte, del sottile confine che ci separa da chi è passato oltre. Allo stesso tempo questo romanzo è un'aspra rappresentazione della vita nella Cina moderna, piena di contraddizioni tra vecchio e nuovo, tradizione e modernità.
October 6, 2018
Yu Hua sihirli bir kaleme sahip. Kurgusu ve dili o kadar güzel ki tarif edemem!
Baş kahramanın yaşadıkları bazen öyle komik bazen öyle hüzünlü.
Kesinlikle hayatınızın bir yerinde muhakkak Yu Hua ile tanışın derim, bu şölenden ne siz ne kütüphaneniz mahrum kalmasın, pişman olmayacaksınız!
Baş kahramanın yaşadıkları bazen öyle komik bazen öyle hüzünlü.
Kesinlikle hayatınızın bir yerinde muhakkak Yu Hua ile tanışın derim, bu şölenden ne siz ne kütüphaneniz mahrum kalmasın, pişman olmayacaksınız!
February 11, 2024
I cried at least 5 times. My cheeks would dry and then I'd just refresh it again, and 4 out 5 times I cried about, essentially, the same thing. Just like the previous Yu Hua works I've read, I devoured this one too. This might be my second or third favorite, idk if I can choose really. Yu Hua's ability to suck me into a story in the smallest amount of pages just fascinates me. My heart is hurt, and another 5 star review was born.
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