Mai jia, a popular novelist and winner of the mao dun literature prize, chinas highest literary honor, writes here under a pen name after serving for seventeen years as a member of the peoples liberation army and its intelligence services. Download read decoded 2014 by mai jia in pdf, epub. His books are constant bestsellers, with total sales over three million copies. The author is jiang benhu who served for seventeen years in the peoples liberation army as an intelligence officer. Mai jia is arguably the most successful writer in china today. He is the author of four novels, three of which have been turned into television series and films. He became the highest paid author in china last year with his new book.
Decoded ebook by mai jia 9780374710842 rakuten kobo. A semiautistic mathematical genius, jinzhen is recruited to the cryptography department of chinas secret services, unit 701, where he is assigned the task of breaking the elusive. One of chinas bestselling novels, an unusual literary thriller that takes us deep into the world of code breakingin his gripping debut novel, mai jia reveals the mysterious world of unit 701, a topsecret chinese intelligence agency whose sole purpose is counterespionage and code breaking. I liked the historical sweep at the beginning of the novel, the whole family set up of how rong jinzhen came to be who and where he was, the politics of late 19th and early 20th century china. Mai jia is described as a thriller writer, though a reader who anticipates an actionpacked pageturner may find decoded disappointing. Jiang enrolled in a military college in china in 1981 and stayed in the chinese army after. He is hailed as the forerunner of chinese espionage fiction, and has created a unique genre that combines spycraft, codebreaking, crime, human drama. Mai jia discusses his bestselling book, decoded, translated into english for the first time. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Cryptography involves one genius trying to work out what another genius has doneit results in the most appalling carnage, observes one decoded character.
Decoded is an unforgettable and gripping story of genius, brilliance, insanity and human frailty. As it progresses, the novel reveals the hidden heroes of three divisions. A novel kindle edition by jia, mai, olivia milburn, christopher payne. With the pacing of a literary crime thriller, mai jia s masterpiece also combines elements of historical fiction and state espionage. He became the highest paid author in china last year with his new book, wind talk. Like the wind rises, hayao miyazakis latest film, mai jias decoded explores the plight of a visionary genius living through the turbulence and upheaval of. A pageturner with a gripping plot, otherworldy aura, and flamboyant detail new york times on decoded. This strange, twisting tale is told in fizzy, vivid and often. Mai is one of chinas most famous living writers, having written several. How to bring out the best in people at their worst by rick kirschner, rick brinkman. Decoded tells the story of rong jinzhwen, one of the great codebreakers in the world. Decoded is the first opportunity for english readers to experience the work of mai jia, a bestselling novelist in his native china where he is also known through television and film adaptations of. One of chinas bestselling novels, an unusual literary thriller that takes us deep into the world of code breaking in his gripping debut novel, mai jia reveals the mysterious world of unit 701, a topsecret chinese intelligence agency whose sole purpose is counterespionage and code breaking. It gets more difficult as he becomes the main character because he is so distant and the top secret cryptography makes him even more distant, and then it seemed like it should be.
Decoded was an immediate success when it was published in 2002 in china and has become an international bestseller. Decoded the novel follows the life of a boy named jinzhen who is of genius mind. Books decoded mai jia search and download pdf files for free. Decoded by mai jia there is a wide range of japanese fiction available in english thanks to the popularity of authors such as haruki murakami, shuichi yoshida, hiromi kawakami and many more. Decoded, originally written and published for a chinese audience in 2002, and newly translated and.
In this debut novel from mai jia, eccentric math prodigy rong jinzhen is plucked from his studies at n university and recruited to chinas topsecret unit 701. In decoded, later made into a tv series, mai links five tales of espionage. One of the initial things that interested me about decoded is that it is published by allen lane, something which is quite unusual as the imprint usually only publishes nonfiction, at first i thought it could have perhaps been a book that had strayed over from the popular science bays, looking further it also seems that another novel by mai jia, in the dark, which won jia the mao. Engrossing this slyly playful narrative will draw you into a deliciously sticky web the times on the message. Mathematical and other similarly other complex themes are explained with impressive proficiency. Mai jia the pen name of jiang benhu is one of chinas most popular authors.
One of chinas bestselling novels, an unusual literary thriller that takes us deep into the world of code breaking in hi. A novel adobe epub ebook, kindle book, overdrive read average rating. How to bring out the best in people at their worst by rick kirschner, rick brinkman 3ck. The fact that youve probably never heard of mai jia says a lot about how few chinese books are marketed in america. Mai jia, who spent many years in the chinese intelligence services, is one of chinas bestselling and most famous writers. Mai has won almost every major book prize in china, including its highest literary honor, the mao dun literature prize. Read decoded a novel by mai jia available from rakuten kobo.
Secrets, in the form of both mysterious plot lines and unresolved personal histories, abound in mai jias decoded, which isnt surprising, given that it is. However, contemporary chinese fiction translated into english is somewhat less prominent, so i was pretty surprised to come across a brand new copy of. Mai jias decoded is a spy thriller like none youve. In the dark currently being translated by penguin follows characters from intelligence unit 701, first introduced in decoded. Rong jinzhen, an autistic math genius with a past shrouded in myth, is forced to. Decoded ebook by mai jia 9780241961995 rakuten kobo. Secrets, in the form of both mysterious plot lines and unresolved personal histories, abound in mai jias decoded, which isnt surprising, given that it is a novel about the intricacies of cryptography, set largely in the chaos of the decades leading to the cultural revolution. Mai jia is the pen name of jiang benhu, perhaps the most widely read writer youve never heard of. The writing is gripping from the outset mai jias use of language and indeed the translation, is eloquent and clear. Rong jinzhen, an autistic math genius with a past shrouded in myth, is forced to abandon his academic pursuits when he is recruited into unit 701.
M ai jia is described in the publishers blurb of this absorbing and unusual. Mai jia, whose decoded is gripping if occasionally taxing. In the famously beautiful city of hangzhou, a puppet government propped up by the japanese is waging an underground war against the communist resistance. Mai jia the pseudonym of jiang benhu is arguably the most successful writer in china today. It is the height of the second world war, and japan rules over china. A dazzling literary thriller set in japanoccupied china from the most translated chinese novelist of our time. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading decoded. With the pacing of a literary crime thriller, mai jias masterpiece also combines elements of historical fiction and state espionage. In his gripping debut novel, mai jia reveals the mysterious world of unit 701, a topsecret chinese intelligence agency whose sole purpose is counterespionage and code breaking.
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