Wuhan

A Documentary Novel

De: Liao Yiwu

Narrado por: Ernest Reid

As rumours of a strange new illness in Wuhan spread via social media in China, 25-year-old citizen reporter Kcriss decides to travel to the epicentre of the disaster to try to find out what is really going on. He sees an ad for corpse carriers at a funeral home – Male or female, 16-50 years old, unafraid of ghosts - and decides to apply. He quickly realises that the official death figures bear no relation to what is happening in the local crematoria. But the brief moment when he can tell the truth to his followers on social media is soon over: he is discovered, followed and arrested by the security police – all documented live on the internet.

In this startlingly topical documentary novel, Liao Yiwu takes us into the heart of the crisis that unfolded in Wuhan and unpicks the secrecy and cover-up that surrounded the outbreak of the public health emergency that ravaged the world.

Where did the virus come from and what happened in Wuhan? Protocols are buried and new lies cement the story of the party's heroic victory - propaganda that poisons people like the virus.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020, 2022, 2024 Liao Yiwu (P)2024 Post Hypnotic Press Inc.

Perfect representation of the chaotic confusion of the pandemic.

audio-ARC from NetGalley.

What did I just read? The chaos and confusion from the beginning of the pandemic are perfectly personified in this book.

The narrator did a really good job. My confusion lay within the book overall. I genuinely struggled to make sense of the timelines and people whose stories we followed. I never truly understood what was going on or why or how it all tied together. I'm not even sure what's real and what's not.

Still, this made for a compelling read and I'm still deeply saddened by the loss of life, the ruination of Hong Kong, and the criminalization of those whose only goal was truth.

Wuhan review

It was very interesting to see the pandemic through the eyes of a Chinese citizen where it all began. It shocked me the lengths the government was willing to go to so they could control the narrative of the virus.

Hypnotic

Fabulously narrated by Ernest Reid, Wuhan by Liao Yiwu is a haunting and urgent exploration of the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, told through the lens of Kcriss, a young citizen journalist who defies government narratives to expose the truth.

As whispers of an unusual illness in Wuhan begin to emerge on social media, 25-year-old Kcriss takes the bold step of heading straight to the epicenter to uncover what’s really happening. To gain access, he applies for work as a "corpse carrier" at a funeral home, a position that brings him face-to-face with the grim reality behind the official death toll. The contrast between the government's reported figures and the scenes at overwhelmed crematoria reveals a harrowing cover-up.

However, his moment of truth-telling is fleeting. With every live broadcast to his followers, Kcriss edges closer to danger. His daring documentation catches the attention of the authorities, culminating in his arrest by the security police—an event captured and broadcast to the world before he is silenced.

Liao Yiwu, a dissident poet and critic of the Chinese government, crafts a novel that merges hard facts with creative narrative. Having faced persecution and exile himself, Liao’s writing is steeped in the defiance and courage of those who dare to challenge oppressive systems. This work sheds light on the secretive handling of the pandemic's origins, juxtaposing the spread of the virus with the equally insidious influence of state propaganda.

Blending investigative depth with an evocative narrative, Wuhan lays bare the devastating effects of authoritarian control on public health and freedom of information. It is a searing indictment of the lengths regimes will go to maintain their image, even at the expense of countless lives, making it essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complex interplay between power, truth, and human suffering. Liao Yiwu’s Wuhan is essential reading for understanding the pandemic’s devastating impact and the cost of silencing dissent

Theories coming to life

This documentary excelled in understanding the Covid pandemic and the city in which it first appeared. Many questions and conspiracy theories were addressed and I enjoyed the flow of the book.

Pretty good

Received as an ARC- I liked it but I didn’t necessarily realize how fictional it would be. Overall enjoyable and would recommend to friends who are interested in this subject

Definitely A Journey

There was a lot happening and it felt a bit difficult to navigate between fiction and reality. I did appreciate this view into the landscape of the pandemic within China on a more granular level as it compared to my own stark experience in the US. It was eye opening to get more confirmation of what news circulated in western media and the validity of some of it within the context of what was actually happening in Wuhan.