Waiting
A Novel (Winner of the National Book Award)
-
-
3.7 • 121 Ratings
-
-
- $8.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • National Book Award Winner • Pulitzer Prize Finalist • A New York Times Notable Book
From the widely acclaimed author—a rich and atmospheric novel about a man living in two worlds, struggling with the conflicting claims of two utterly different women.
The demands of human longing contend with the weight of centuries of custom in acclaimed author Ha Jin’s Waiting, a novel of unexpected richness and universal resonance. Every summer Lin Kong, a doctor in the Chinese Army, returns to his village to end his loveless arranged marriage with the humble and touchingly loyal Shuyu. But each time Lin must return to the city to tell Manna Wu, the educated, modern nurse he loves, that they will have to postpone their engagement once again. Caught between the conflicting claims of these two utterly different women and trapped by a culture in which adultery can ruin lives and careers, Lin has been waiting for eighteen years. This year, he promises will be different.
"Ha Jin profoundly understands the conflict between the individual and society, between the timeless universality of the human heart and constantly shifting politics of the moment. With wisdom, restraint, and empathy for all his characters, he vividly reveals the complexities and subtleties of a world and a people we desperately need to know."—Judges' Citation, National Book Award
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
With his poignant, National Book Award–winning novel, Ha Jin eloquently reminds us that the heart and the ego are equally fallible. Unhappy in his arranged marriage, Chinese Army doctor Lin Kong romances Army nurse Manna Wu. As the years pass—and in-laws, social mores, and the legal system stymie Lin’s perennial attempts at an amicable divorce—the couple’s chaste courtship grows increasingly fraught. Ha Jin’s taut prose is perfectly suited to his exploration of the stifling atmosphere of China’s Cultural Revolution. His novel is never sentimental, exploring his characters’ paths with spare, powerful economy.
Customer Reviews
Seemingly endless
While reading this drawn out tale, I felt it would never end.
Loved this book when I first read it!
I’m always gonna love this book!
One of the best love stories I loved.
Wow!
I was not able to put this book down! Beautifully written, and so full of truth it breaks your heart. Not to be missed