SEVEN KINDS OF MUSHROOMS

Widely considered to be a masterpiece among China's experimental fiction, this novella is the most unusual of all Zhang Wei's works. Composed of two "love letters," three letters of "accusation" and "critical materials," the book tells the story of a forest king and his subjects. It is complex, depraved, and tragic, filled with wit and humor. Many readers cannot keep themselves from laughing when they read the book. The novella enchants the reader with its depiction of the stark hardships of life, of romances which blaze hot as fire, and of the terrifying struggles of life and death. Critics consider that in the literature of the last twenty years in China there has never been a work of comparable style or category. Not only is it fantastic, magical and bizarre, but many of its descriptions are next to incredible.

When this book was first published, it received virtually no recognition. But eight years later, it suddenly became enormously popular. By now it has garnered innumerable positive reviews.