Translated books have always taken a prominent place in the booming Chinese book market.
This year, books written by foreign writers have again placed high on popular booklists issued by China's major bookselling platform Amazon China and book review platform Douban.
As the year is about to draw to an end, here are some recommendations for books that you would not want to miss out on.
‘Principles: Life and Work' by Ray Dalio
"Principles: Life and Work" written by Ray Dalio. /Screenshot from the website of Amazon China
We know that books about economics and management are hot in China, but did not expect they could be this hot.
Four books in the category of economics and management entered Amazon China's top ten best-selling paper books this year: “Principles: Life and Work,” which was top, “Breaking through Gridlock: The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World,” “Insights,” and “Snoop: What Your Stuff Says about You.”
The winner “Principles: Life and Work” also bags another two firsts on Amazon China's top ten new paperback books and top ten new e-books with the highest payment on Kindle.
Besides, the book is also the champion in the category of economics and management and ranks 8th of the top ten most eye-catching books on Douban.
Ray Dalio, author of the book, is an American investor and founder of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world's largest hedge funds. He was listed by Bloomberg in January among the world's 100 wealthiest people.
From his personal experience, Dalio instilled some important principles he used in life and work, from relationships to investment and company management. He put his thoughtful methodology on the website of his company, triggering 3 million downloads, which led to “Principles: Life and Work” being named the most read book.
‘The Story of the Lost Child' by Elena Ferrante
Cover of "The Story of the Lost Child" written by Elena Ferrante. /Photo via Xinhua News Agency
“The Story of the Lost Child” is the last of the four-volume work known as the Neapolitan Novels. Rated at 9.2 out of 10 on Douban, the book was the highest rating book this year, ranked first among all foreign literature and 6th of the most eye-catching books.
The series tells the story of two intelligent girls born in a poor and violent community in the suburb of Naples, Italy after the Second World War. During their half-century-long friendship and battle, the girls support and compete against each other while battling the social environment, witnessing the power of knowledge in changing fate, the terror of natural disaster, and the insecurity of love and marriage.
Since “My Brilliant Friend,” the first of the quartet, published in 2012, the story has brought Ferrante worldwide fame after the work was translated into many languages. However, the popular Italian novelist has always remained pseudonymous Elena Ferrante, prompting speculation the real identity of the writer.
Based on the distinctive autobiographical features of Ferrante's work, people assume Ferrante is a woman, and “she” was included by Financial Times into the Women of 2015 and by Time magazine into the top 100 most influential people in 2016.
On November 18, the TV adaptation of “My Brilliant Friend” was broadcast on HBO, a U.S. cable and satellite television network, raising another wave of “Ferrante frenzy.”
‘Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper' by Fuchsia Dunlop
Cover of "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper" written by Fuchsia Dunlop. /Photo via Xinhua News Agency
No one expects a Chinese person other than a chef to have deep, deep knowledge about Chinese cooking, let alone a foreigner. Fuchsia Dunlop, however, is an exception.
Since 1994, the British woman has lived in China and tested her taste buds with any number of Chinese dishes. To explore the secrets behind Chinese delicacies, the English literature and Chinese major accepted a three-month chef training stint at a culinary school in Sichuan.
From sweet and spicy Sichuan cuisine to intensified spicy Hunan cuisine, from delicate Yangzhou dishes to bold Xi'an dishes, her 20 years of practice established her professionalism, which has been best on display in her book, “Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper.”
Reading the book, Chinese people will get reacquainted with their everyday foods from a new perspective through the eyes of a foreigner. Savoring the sense of intimacy and strangeness, Chinese readers give the book an 8.4 rating.
It ranks the first in non-fiction foreign literature and fourth among the most eye-catching books of the year on Douban.