The Corpse Walker

In my opinion, The Corpse Walker by Liao Yiwu gives the best insight into the life of the poorest Chinese people who were caught in the line of fire between communist leaders and the counter revolutionists.  In this real life series of stories, Yiwu interviews hundreds of the poorest member of the communities that were deprived of many resources.  The book contains 27 of the interviews he conducted, in actual interview format. 

Yiwu builds relationships with the cast of individuals through hours of meetings.  This is a dream book for any qualitative social-scientist in how to gather the feelings, emotions, and experiences of peers who have had the hardest lives imaginable.  Yiwu does a masterful job of uncovering the bloodshed, famine, and destruction of a person to the lowest possible moments of existence.  Each chapter is named after the individual being interviewed, most all based on the profession the person had in the community: grave digger; abbot; retired official; safecracker; composer; migrant worker, etc. 

The commonality in each is how they all seemingly were committed members of the Communist party and somehow through a love interest, needing money to exist, or being turned on by another, were turned in to the local officials for not supporting the government.  What happened next usually resulted in imprisonment, torture, the murdering of family members, and/or loss of all material possessions.  The cruelty is horrific and the detail of forced abortions, bodily harm, rapes, and starvation reveal the stories never told in history books. 

Additionally, for those who were alive during the student uprisings in Tiananmen Square twenty-six years ago bring back vivid pictures of the student who stood in front of the tank defying authority.  This turn of events caught on tv for the world to see, started a new awareness of cruelty and human devastation to the leaders of a country that needed to be told.  Communist leaders killed those who might tell of the stories revealed by Yiwu, who himself was terrorized and nearly escaped death himself many times.  We get a glimpse into real people and Yiwu does it in a way that raises the hair on your arms and brings tears to one’s eyes.  Moving book.  A book that must be read to remind all that this happens every day somewhere in this world.