The Unfilial

Colleagues might be interested in this recent review on the Irish Times regarding a new novella collection in translation Find below relevant parts of the review and information about the book.–Daniel Li <Daniel.li@alaincharlesasia.com>

The Unfilial (Sinoist Books, £15.99) is a collection of four stories by Chinese writer Yao Emei 姚鄂梅. The long story – 50 or more pages – is a favourite format of mine, proving the perfect length for an evening’s reading.

In the first tale, It Runs in the Family (translated by Will Spence), a young man throws his lover from a bridge, making the family reliant on the local police chief. Things are complicated by the fact that the chief is the spurned lover of the murderer’s mother. Gran is on Her Way (translated by Olivia Milburn), is about a hospital cleaner who gave up her own child for adoption when the father was imprisoned. Years later, she finds herself drawn into the desperate circumstances of other young women, while also dealing with the hangover from her own past. It is one of the best stories you’ll read all year.

Skeletons in the Closet (translated by Honey Watson) follows a young woman’s clandestine affair with an older, married doctor. Though drawn into the passion and subterfuge, she is keenly aware of the betrayal involved. You’ll Do the Job With Skill and Ease (translated by Martin Ward) is a novella-length story about a father who gambles away his family’s house, forcing them into an itinerant living experiment, staying in hotels or squatting in friends’ houses. It is a parable about the foundational importance of home in a family.

There are common plot points among the stories – prison, mistakes, hospital, feckless men and unplanned pregnancy. Yao handles difficult subject matter with sensitivity yet also confidence. She makes bold choices and creates complex but credible human dilemmas rather than providing pat morality for reader comfort. Highly recommended.

The Unfilial: Four Tragic Tales from Modern China – Yao Emei (Trans: Will Spence, Olivia Milburn, Honey Watson and Martin Ward). 288 pp. Sinoist Books, 2024. ISBN: 978-1-83890-581-1. Pricing: £15.99

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