{"product_id":"ocean-of-words-stories-9780375702068","title":"Ocean of Words: Stories","description":"\u003ci\u003eWinner of the PEN\/Hemingway Award\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe place is the chilly border between Russia and China. The time is the early 1970s when the two giants were poised on the brink of war. And the characters in this thrilling collection of stories are Chinese soldiers who must constantly scrutinize the enemy even as they themselves are watched for signs of the fatal disease of bourgeois liberalism. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003cb\u003eOcean of Words\u003c\/b\u003e, the Chinese writer Ha Jin explores the predicament of these simple, barely literate men with breathtaking concision and humanity. From amorous telegraphers to a pugnacious militiaman, from an inscrutable Russian prisoner to an effeminate but enthusiastic recruit, Ha Jin's characters possess a depth and liveliness that suggest Isaac Babel's Cossacks and Tim O'Brien's GIs. \u003cb\u003eOcean of Words\u003c\/b\u003e is a triumphant volume, poignant, hilarious, and harrowing. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A compelling collection of stories, powerful in their unity of theme and rich in their diversity of styles.\" --\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Extraordinary. . . .  These stories are shot through with wit and offer glimpses of human motivation that defy retelling. . . . Read them all.\" --\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"An exceptional new talent, capable of wringing rich surprises out of austere materials.\" --\u003ci\u003ePortland Oregonian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Vintage\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/28\/1998\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780375702068\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.56lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.17w x 0.66d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/27\/1998 pg. 32\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ha Jin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42924846874805,"sku":"9780375702068","price":14.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_8d7236eb-f53b-4b68-802b-198cb36af287.jpg?v=1687839661","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/ocean-of-words-stories-9780375702068","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}