''A Chinese Life'' (french: Une vie chinoise) is a 2012 French

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

co-written by

Li Kunwu Li Kunwu (born 1955,Smart, James.A Chinese Life by Li Kunwu and P Ôtié – review " ''The Guardian''. October 12, 2012. Retrieved on November 29, 2018. ) is a Chinese cartoonist who created graphic novels published in France. Life He originated ...

and

Philippe Ôtié Philippe is a masculine sometimes feminin given name, cognate to Philip. It may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince Philippe, Count o ...

and illustrated by Li Kunwu. Edward Gauvin translated the book into English. The book describes Li Kunwu's life during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

.A Chinese Life by Li Kunwu and Philippe Ôtié, translated by Edward Gauvin
"

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) is a migratory museum that shares Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture through innovative museum experiences online and throughout the U.S through the Smithsonian Institution's work. ...

. Retrieved on 13 February 2015.

Kana The term may refer to a number of syllabaries used to write Japanese phonological units, morae. Such syllabaries include (1) the original kana, or , which were Chinese characters (kanji) used phonetically to transcribe Japanese, the most pr ...

published the French version, and

SelfMadeHero SelfMadeHero is an independent publishing house which specialises in adapting works of literature, as well as producing ground-breaking original fiction in the graphic novel medium. SelfMadeHero's books are distributed in the U.S. by Abrams Boo ...

published the English translation. Li Kunwu (born 1955),Smart, James.
A Chinese Life by Li Kunwu and P Ôtié – review
" ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. October 12, 2012. Retrieved on February 13, 2015. an artist, received a proposal to make a graphic novel about his life in 2005. The co-writer, Ôtié, worked for the

French Embassy This is a list of diplomatic missions of France, excluding honorary consulates. France's permanent representation abroad began in the reign of Francis I, when in 1522 he sent a delegation to the Swiss. Despite its reduced presence following decol ...

as a commercial counselor/advisor to

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

. It was first published in France; the first volume was published in 2009, and the third and final volume was published in 2011. In 2012 the English version was published in one volume. Clément Benech of ''

Libération ''Libération'' (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Initially positioned on the far-left of France's ...

'' described it as somewhat of an equivalent of ''

Vie Française Vie (IPA: /'vi.e/), is a district (or ''quarter''), of Oradea, a city in Bihor, Romania. The name means ''vineyard'' in Romanian. Geography Vie is situated in the hills overlooking Oradea, in the northern part of the town. It spans quite a lar ...

'' by

Jean-Paul Dubois Jean-Paul Dubois (born 1950 in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne) is a French journalist and author. He won the Prix Goncourt in 2019 for '' Tous les hommes n'habitent pas le monde de la même façon'' ("All Men Do Not Inhabit This World in the Same Way"), ...

Reception

James Smart of ''

'' wrote that "This ambitious graphic novel pulls you to the chest of the world's latest superpower, shows you something of what it has gained and lost, and lets you go, 60 years later, drained and intrigued and feeling as though you know China's great, tangled present a little bit better."

References

2009 graphic novels Autobiographical graphic novels Books about China French graphic novels {{2000s-graphic-novel-stub