The “intimate and expansive” (Time) memoir of “one of the most important artists working in the world today” (Financial Times), telling a remarkable history of China over the last hundred years while also illuminating his artistic process
“Poignant . . . An illuminating through-line emerges in the many parallels Ai traces between his life and his father’s.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time,BookPage, Booklist,Kirkus Reviews
Once a close associate of Mao Zedong and the nation’s most celebrated poet, Ai Weiwei’s father, Ai Qing, was branded a rightist during the Cultural Revolution, and he and his family were banished to a desolate place known as “Little Siberia,” where Ai Qing was sentenced to hard labor cleaning public toilets. Ai Weiwei recounts his childhood in exile, and his difficult decision to leave his family to study art in America, where he befriended Allen Ginsberg and was inspired by Andy Warhol and the artworks of Marcel Duchamp. With candor and wit, he details his return to China and his rise from artistic unknown to art world superstar and international human rights activist—and how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime.
Ai Weiwei’s sculptures and installations have been viewed by millions around the globe, and his architectural achievements include helping to design the iconic Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing. His political activism has long made him a target of the Chinese authorities, which culminated in months of secret detention without charge in 2011. Here, for the first time, Ai Weiwei explores the origins of his exceptional creativity and passionate political beliefs through his life story and that of his father, whose creativity was stifled.
At once ambitious and intimate, Ai Weiwei’s 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows offers a deep understanding of the myriad forces that have shaped modern China, and serves as a timely reminder of the urgent need to protect freedom of expression.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows is a memoir by Ai Weiwei of the sociopolitical changes in the 20th century in China and of his own place in the larger picture as an artist, philosopher, and activist. Released 2nd Nov 2021 by Penguin Random House on their Crown Publishing imprint, it's 400 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in 4th quarter 2022. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately it makes it much easier to find particular text in a search.
This is an engaging and honest memoir of the author's life, part of which he spent in exile as a child with his father, a poet of renown. The philosophy with which he was surrounded and the privation of his early life informed much of his personality and later artistic expression. The writing is intelligent and open and there are glimpses of genuine wit and humor. I enjoyed his reminiscences very much; the recollections of culture shock and confusion as a young Chinese student in America were touching and honestly told.
The book is enhanced throughout with glimpses into his sketchbooks and drawings. They add a lot of depth to the read. The translation work is flawlessly provided by Dr. Allan Barr. It scans very well and doesn't read in the English edition as though it were translated, which is obviously the ideal.
Four and a half stars. This would be a superlative choice for public library acquisition as well as recommended for readers of memoir and biography.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
