In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when these stories were written, Yu Hua and a number of other young Chinese writers began to reimagine their national literature in their innovations with form. Departing from conventional realism in favor of a more subjective and daring approach inspired by Kafka, Faulkner, and Borges, these authors reflected the momentous cultural changes sweeping through China. The stories in The April 3rd Incident show Yu Hua masterfully guiding us from one fractured reality to another. "A History of Two People" traces the paths of a man and a woman who dream in parallel throughout their lives. "In Memory of Miss Willow Yang" weaves a spellbinding web of signs and symbols. "As the North Wind Howled" carries a case of mistaken identity to absurd and hilarious conclusions. And the titular story follows an unforgettable narrator determined to unearth a conspiracy against him that may not exist. By turns surreal, thought-provoking, and darkly comic, The April 3rd Incident is an extraordinary record of a singular moment in Chinese fiction.
