The True Story of Ah Q

“The True Story of A-Q”—one of the brightest works of early 20th-century Chinese literature and the first novella that fully demonstrated the expressive possibilities of the spoken Chinese language. The book quickly gained wide recognition beyond China and made Lu Xun an author of world stature. It was translated into more than thirty languages; according to the BBC, it was included in the list of the one hundred greatest stories of all time and served as the basis for many interpretations—from theatrical productions and films to ballet versions.

Initially, Lu Xun published the novella under the pseudonym “Ba Ren” (“a brute”): it appeared in a newspaper supplement in separate installments. The satirical power of the text is built in large part on the clash between the image of the main character—A-Q, a bankrupt laborer, a person who is not heroic, sly, and somewhat simple-minded, yet confident in his “spiritual superiority”—and a narrative manner styled like a classic Chinese novel.

In this edition, “The True Story of A-Q” is published with genuine illustrations by the Chinese graphic artist Feng Zikai. In addition to the central novella, the book includes selected stories by Lu Xun.