The Remote Country of Women

by Hua Bai, Thomas O. Beebee, Qingyun Wu

Bai Hua shifts from tragicomic farce to earthy eroticism to modernist playwriting in this carefully wrought exploration of the clash between two ways of life. In alternating chapters, the novel tells the stories of Sunamei, a winsome young woman from an idyllic matriarchal community, and Liang Rui, a self-absorbed man who is also weary witness to the Cultural Revolution.
Through his two protagonists, Bai Hua addresses themes of the repression and freedom of sexuality, the brutality of modernity, and the fluidity of gender roles as the novel moves hypnotically and inevitably toward a collision between two worlds.
First published in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in 1988, The Remote Country of Women has since been translated into French, German, and Russian. It appears now in English for the first time.

Genres: China, Historical, Literary Fiction, Chinese Literature

376 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1994

Reviews

[Claudia Putnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, moving... but I'm beginning to wonder if totalitarianism obliterates culture... This feels as if it might have been written in Russia... are there cultural differences among communist countries, or are they really all the same? The Mosuo part of course is distinct, but the Chineseness, whatever that might be, of this book doesn't really come through for me. Translation? Not sure.

[Lindsey Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story behind this novel is one that needs to be told. It analyzes the effects of Chairman Mao's rule over China, as well as the "remote country of women," a Chinese civilization that is run entirely by women. These two topics are interesting and deserve to be recorded and read. This being said, I hated this book. I struggled to state attentive to it, and it proved relatively difficult to read (and I had just read Frankenstein). This may be due to the translation. All in all, I did not enjoy reading this book, but I am glad to have now the knowledge that I obtained from it.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book comparing the Cultural Revolution with the Mosuo matriarchal community. This is my third Fiction from Modern China book. These books are varied and interesting, will continue to read them.

[Lynne Handy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book.