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The Enchanting Lives of Others

A Novel
By Can Xue
Series: The Margellos World Republic of Letters
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Brief Description
A celebration of the beguiling power of literature, from one of the world's greatest storytellers At the Pigeon Book Club, a circle of readers joins in exhilarating meetings to discuss literature. The only requirements for entry are an all-encompassing love of books and an intuition that... Read More
Format: Hardback
$4099
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A celebration of the beguiling power of literature, from one of the world's greatest storytellers

At the Pigeon Book Club, a circle of readers joins in exhilarating meetings to discuss literature. The only requirements for entry are an all-encompassing love of books and an intuition that to read is to love and to love is to read.

Xiao Sang, a department store clerk, wonders if life can ever be as captivating as a novel. Newlyweds Fei and Han Ma struggle to build a marriage as Han Ma discovers a surprising gift for storytelling. Xiao Ma, a hopeful dreamer, explores the possibility of romance with an older man.

Bound by a shared passion for fiction, each book club member seeks to understand the relationship between the stories they read and the lives they lead, revelling in both the quotidian details and the ecstasy of aesthetics.

This is the most accessible work yet from the celebrated writer Can Xue: a utopian comedy and a work of profound joy, a love song to literary inspiration and the remarkable beauty of the ordinary. The Enchanting Lives of Others explores what it means to know and be known to others through the transformative power of reading.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300281651

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 24 February 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Contributors:

  • Translated by Annelise Finegan

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 448

Collections

Can Xue Fantasy Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series: The Margellos World Republic of Letters

About the Author

Can Xue is the pseudonym of the Chinese writer Deng Xiaohua (b. 1953). Formerly a tailor, she began writing fiction in 1983. Her works include Barefoot Doctor, I Live in the Slums, Love in the New Millennium, Five Spice Street, and The Last Lover. Annelise Finegan is academic director and clinical associate professor of translation at New York University.

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