HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories by…
Loading...

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories (original 2005; edition 2006)

by Yiyun Li

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
6722534,117 (3.85)49
Brilliant and original, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers introduces a remarkable new writer whose breathtaking stories are set in China and among Chinese Americans in the United States. In this rich, astonishing collection, Yiyun Li illuminates how mythology, politics, history, and culture intersect with personality to create fate. From the bustling heart of Beijing, to a fast-food restaurant in Chicago, to the barren expanse of Inner Mongolia, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers reveals worlds both foreign and familiar, with heartbreaking honesty and in beautiful prose. "Immortality," winner of The Paris Review's Plimpton Prize for new writers, tells the story of a young man who bears a striking resemblance to a dictator and so finds a calling to immortality. In "The Princess of Nebraska," a man and a woman who were both in love with a young actor in China meet again in America and try to reconcile the lost love with their new lives. "After a Life" illuminates the vagaries of marriage, parenthood, and gender, unfolding the story of a couple who keep a daughter hidden from the world. And in "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers," in which a man visits America for the first time to see his recently divorced daughter, only to discover that all is not as it seems, Li boldly explores the effects of communism on language, faith, and an entire people, underlining transformation in its many meanings and incarnations. These and other daring stories form a mesmerizing tapestry of revelatory fiction by an unforgettable writer.… (more)
Member:fortyfour
Title:A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories
Authors:Yiyun Li
Info:Random House Trade Paperbacks (2006), Paperback, 240 pages
Collections:Finished 2009, Your library
Rating:
Tags:None

Work Information

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Stories by Yiyun Li (2005)

Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 49 mentions

English (24)  Danish (1)  All languages (25)
Showing 1-5 of 24 (next | show all)
I’ve managed to accumulate several volumes of Yiyun Li but had, for no good reason, never managed to read her until I sat down recently with this collection of stories. I won’t make that mistake again. Although her subjects aren’t quite up my alley, she is a terrific writer and has a knack for completely believable people (albeit in some occasionally unbelievable situations). “Immortality” is about a young man who is a double for the dictator and follows his (the double's) rise and inevitable fall. “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” follows an older Chinese man who visits America for the first time to see his recently divorced daughter. The story is a well-done exploration of cultural and language barriers, about communication and about silence. I enjoyed most of the stories in the volume, the great majority of which take place in China and there is no doubt that Li has little use or love for the Communist Party, the communist system, or what it has done (and is doing) to China (she has lived in the USA since 1996 when she was 24). But her stories are about far more than that and if you have any interest in good modern short story writing, I’d definitely encourage you to look at this. I know I’ll be pulling down the other collections before very long. ( )
  Gypsy_Boy | Aug 22, 2023 |
This early short story collection by Yiyun Li has all but one story is set in China and they often have the feel of a folktale. From the village that supplies eunuchs to the Imperial Court to a chilly Chicago street, the author tells stories that illuminate what it is to be human. This is a solid collection that is understated and full of detail. ( )
  RidgewayGirl | Apr 8, 2023 |
most of these stories were beautiful little gems. plus, interesting perspectives on China/communism and Chinese American identities. ( )
  audsreads | Jul 19, 2020 |
It's been a while since I've read a short story collection. They can sometimes be hit or miss, and even good collections tend to have a few dud stories. But I liked every tale in this collection (if we ignore the insulting resolution of the one about the unwanted pregnancy). The strong sense of culture was the backbone of the book, and each story was tinged with a dose of heartbreak. The writing was beautiful without being flowery. A really good read. ( )
  SadieBabie | Jun 23, 2018 |
3 stars. This was a mixed bag of stories. There were a few that I really enjoyed though. For the ones that I didn't really enjoy, I felt the author was trying too hard to convey a message or force the reader to think a certain way - especially when most of her stories seemed to be more for the readers to interpret how they will. Additionally, I felt she would build the story up and the decline was too jarring. There wasn't enough time or plot to give a satisfactory ending. ( )
  BefuddledPanda | Dec 4, 2017 |
Showing 1-5 of 24 (next | show all)
no reviews | add a review

» Add other authors (6 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Yiyun Liprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Šenkyřík, LadislavTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
Quotations
It's not easy to shut up in America. They value you not by what's inside you, but by what's pouring out of your mouth.
Women in their marriageable twenties and early thirties are like lychees that have been picked from the tree; each passing day makes them less fresh and less desirable, and only too soon will they lose their value, and have to be gotten rid of at a sale price.
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Brilliant and original, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers introduces a remarkable new writer whose breathtaking stories are set in China and among Chinese Americans in the United States. In this rich, astonishing collection, Yiyun Li illuminates how mythology, politics, history, and culture intersect with personality to create fate. From the bustling heart of Beijing, to a fast-food restaurant in Chicago, to the barren expanse of Inner Mongolia, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers reveals worlds both foreign and familiar, with heartbreaking honesty and in beautiful prose. "Immortality," winner of The Paris Review's Plimpton Prize for new writers, tells the story of a young man who bears a striking resemblance to a dictator and so finds a calling to immortality. In "The Princess of Nebraska," a man and a woman who were both in love with a young actor in China meet again in America and try to reconcile the lost love with their new lives. "After a Life" illuminates the vagaries of marriage, parenthood, and gender, unfolding the story of a couple who keep a daughter hidden from the world. And in "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers," in which a man visits America for the first time to see his recently divorced daughter, only to discover that all is not as it seems, Li boldly explores the effects of communism on language, faith, and an entire people, underlining transformation in its many meanings and incarnations. These and other daring stories form a mesmerizing tapestry of revelatory fiction by an unforgettable writer.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (3.85)
0.5
1 2
1.5
2 5
2.5 1
3 35
3.5 16
4 48
4.5 10
5 33

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 203,498,334 books! | Top bar: Always visible