Celia, Misoka, I - by Xue Yiwei (Paperback)

About the Book

Three strangers of different origin meet at the frozen Beaver Lake on the top of Mount Royal in Montreal. Day by day, a multilayered emotional drama of love, loss, and loneliness builds. Rooted in the painful past of globalization, this novel reveals the secrets of the paradise we all have lost as human beings.

Book Synopsis

A meditation on the meaning of life in an increasingly global world, from acclaimed Chinese-Canadian author Xue Yiwei.

Set in modern-day Montreal, Celia, Misoka, I is the story of a middle-aged Chinese man who has been living in the city for fifteen years. After the death of his wife, he begins to reflect on his past and how he has ended up alone in Canada, a solitary member of the Chinese diaspora. It is in this period of angst and uncertainty, during the most unusual of winters, that he meets two women by Beaver Lake, on Montreal's Mount Royal. They, too, have their own stories: stories of their own personal plights, which connect present to past, and West to East.

The distinct paths taken by these three characters -- Celia, Misoka, and "I" -- span continents and decades, but, whether by chance or design, converge in Montreal, like mysterious figures in an ancient Chinese Zen painting. After coming together, the three begin to examine who they are, where they might belong, and how to navigate otherness and identity in a globalized world.

A RARE MACHINES BOOK

Review Quotes

Xue's style and content are unorthodox in contemporary English literature... his new book is thought-provoking. Do random events or small trip-ups sometimes determine our destiny, or do they become minor glitches in the stream of our lives?-- "Winnipeg Free Press"

This is an excellent novel.-- "The Modern Novel"

Celia, Misoka, I is about the importance of storytelling in this 'age of chaos, marked by the collapse of authority, the destruction of the individual, and the disappearance of meaningful relationships.' The narrative, no matter how fanciful or flighty, captures the possibility and promise of meaningful connection.-- "Los Angeles Review of Books"

Celia, Misoka, I shows the plight of modern men and women in the era of globalization through the suspenseful life stories of the three characters. Xue skillfully employs a narrative structure similar to that of a detective novel, in which the characters take turns to reveal the darkest memories of the enigmatic women.-- "World Literature Today"

Xue Yiwei is a maverick in contemporary Chinese literature. He stays alone and aloof, far away from restive crowds back in his homeland. For him, to write is to make a pilgrimage to his masters: Joyce, Borges, Calvino, Proust. As an admirer of his, I salute his courage, his stamina, and his love of solitude.-- "Ha Jin, National Book Award-winning novelist"

Hugely gifted, Xue Yiwei is a fresh and most distinctive voice in contemporary Chinese literature. I recommend him highly.-- "Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans"

About the Author

Xue Yiwei has a B.Sc. in computer science, an M.A. in literature, and a Ph.D. in linguistics. He is the acclaimed author of twenty books, including Desertion, Dr. Bethune's Children, and Shenzheners, as well as The Empty Nest, which topped major literary charts in China. His books have been translated into English, French, and Swedish. He lives in Montreal.