Preview

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

To Live

By: Yu Hua, Michael Berry
Narrated by: David Shih
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.47

Buy for $15.47

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

From the author of Brothers and China in Ten Words: this celebrated contemporary classic of Chinese literature was also adapted for film by Zhang Yimou.

This searing novel, originally banned in China but later named one of that nation's most influential books, portrays one man's transformation from the spoiled son of a landlord to a kindhearted peasant. After squandering his family's fortune in gambling dens and brothels, the young, deeply penitent Fugui settles down to do the honest work of a farmer. Forced by the Nationalist Army to leave behind his family, he witnesses the horrors and privations of the Civil War, only to return years later to face a string of hardships brought on by the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. Left with an ox as the companion of his final years, Fugui stands as a model of gritty authenticity, buoyed by his appreciation for life in this narrative of humbling power.

©1993 Yu Hua; translation and afterword copyright 2003 by Michael Berry (P)2017 Tantor
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"This engaging story is one that readers won't soon forget." ( Library Journal)

What listeners say about To Live

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    65
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    51
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    54
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Chinese Story

I appreciate the narrator's voice and tone changes for the different characters, and I think his Chinese name pronunciation is also quite accurate and appropriate, even though it's in English.

I don't appreciate all of the language and didn't realize how much death was to be found in the story, yet I can understand it is likely not far off from what that time period may have been like.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Made Me Cry More than Any Other Book

"To Live" is a beautiful story. It's very sad, too. It's an odyssey through 20th-Century Chinese history. I couldn't put it down (I listened to the whole thing in a day). The characters are well-developed and the narration pulls you in. A teacher showed my class the movie in school and that led me to the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow!

A Chinese friend recommended that I read this book. She told me that it made her cry. I had read Yu Hua’s China in Ten Words, and I learned a great deal from it. I took her recommendation and bought the book.
I’m glad I did! This gave me more insight on China’s recent history. While a Marine does not cry, it did make this old jarhead’s eyes sweat!
The translation is very well written and the audio quality is very good!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A very touching story

The story is worth reading to get to know better some of the history and traditions of modern China. The story is touching, and makes one think about the values of life. Excellent book that makes me keep reading and reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!