An immediate sensation upon publication in China, I Love Dollars makes high comedy out of modern everyday life in China. In the title story, a young man, acutely aware of his filial duty, sets out to secure a prostitute for his father, only to haggle his old man out of a good time. This and other stories amplify China's identity crisis in post-Mao settings ranging from an old Yangtze River vessel to failing factories, cheap diners, and a for-profit hospital run according to dated socialist norms. Through a cast of brilliantly drawn characters, Zhu Wen's stories create a vivid portrait of contemporary China - its wealth and poverty, humour and chaos.

Zhu Wen