The Attic: Memoir of a Chinese Landlord’s Son
Novelist Guanlong Cao’s autobiographical account of growing up in urban Shanghai affords a rare glimpse into daily life during the 40 turbulent years following the Communist Revolution. Forced to the bottom of Chinese society as “class enemies,” Cao’s family eked out a meager existence in a cramped attic.
In this exquisite memoir, novelist Guanlong Cao sketches tales of growing up in Shanghai during the tumultuous Cultural Revolution. Cao’s lean elegant prose, reminiscent of classical Chinese memoirs, heightens the emotional intensity of his story as he grows from child to young man while political upheavals sweep across the background. Perceptive, humorous, and original, his voice demands to be heard — for the historical moment it captures as well as the personal revelation it distills.