The Anaconda in the Chandelier: Writings on China

287-page paperback / 6" x 9" / ISBN 9781589881983
Publication date 2/18/25 (now shipping)

"This book is a manifestation of Perry Link’s deep love for the Chinese people, their humor, struggles, and courage. Anaconda in the Chandelier is packed with a deep understanding of China, astute observations of Chinese society, and unrelenting criticism of the Communist Party, all stemming from Link’s devotion to one thing: truth. If you want to understand why the West got China wrong and how to get it right in the ongoing rivalry between democracy and autocracy, you need to read it."
—Li Yuan, The New York Times

"Incisive, wise, deeply humane, this collection is a true gem from a China scholar who is a rarity in his field. Distilled from a lifelong engagement with Chinese language and culture at an astonishingly high level, a wealth of compelling, compassionate observations and critical dissections, including some rather uncomfortable truths about China, is revealed here through fluid essays as well as Link’s ironic personal transformation, to borrow CCP lingo, from ‘a friend of China’ to ‘a hostile foreign element.’"
—Jianying Zha, author of Tide Players and China Pop

These acerbic essays, collected from Perry Link’s decades-long career as a noted Sinologist, reveal the depth of his attachment to China and his willingness to squarely face unpleasant truths about the many ways in which ordinary Chinese people have suffered from the self-serving, erratic, and often disastrous “leadership” of the Communist Party of China.

Link's essays touch on politics, society, economy, literature, and art, but their primary focus is on the thoughts, feelings, and values of Chinese people. He lays out his values as he explains how, like many of his Chinese friends, he began with a naïve attraction to socialist ideals only to eventually feel disgust at the cynical betrayal of not only those ideals but even garden-variety ethics. His writing probes the ways “comrades” in the ruling regime have ruthlessly clung to and pursued the one value whose pre-eminence has never been in question: political power.

The Anaconda in the Chandelier includes essays on Link’s “day job” interests in Chinese literature, popular culture, and language teaching at Princeton University. He also offers intellectual tribute to his teachers—both classroom teachers and several whose writing taught him how to see beneath the surfaces of things.   

“Readers interested in contemporary China will find useful perspectives in these essays by a veteran China watcher."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Based in solid academic work and far-reaching historical vision, and steeped in the language and cultural psychology of the Chinese people, Professor Link, with a pen as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cuts to the core of issues that are hidden to most observers but profound in their implications.  A fascinating book that you won't be able to put down!"
—Cai Xia, retired professor at the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China in Beijing

"In contrast to Western apologists for the Chinese Communist Party, Perry Link actually does love China. His love is based on decades of friendship with real Chinese people of all walks of life and on a thorough knowledge of Chinese society that he displays in this wonderfully written collection of essays.  A must for anyone who wants to understand the world’s other superpower."
 —Jean-Philippe Béja, Research Professor Emeritus, National Center for Scientific Research and the Center for International Studies and Research at Sciences Po, Paris

"With a keen ear to the nuances of thought and speech in China, Perry Link opens an utterly fresh perspective upon the doings and misdoings of the Communist regime. This renowned scholar of literature has crafted a collection of graceful essays while being a first-hand witness to the complexities of US-China relations.”
—Vera Schwarcz, Professor emerita of History, Wesleyan University

PRAISE FOR PERRY LINK'S PREVIOUS BOOKS:

“A lively survey of today’s China as seen by [its] brooding intellectuals. A terrific book.”
—Nicholas Kristof, New York Times Book Review, on Evening Chats in Beijing

“[An] utterly absorbing gem of a book.”
—Library Journal on Evening Chats in Beijing

“Meticulously researched and wonderfully crafted . . .”
—Foreign Affairs on I Have No Enemies

“A moving biography of the courageous Liu Xiaobo. Told with affection, insight, and rich details . . .”
—Ha Jin, author of Waiting, on I Have No Enemies

Perry Link has authored or co-authored ten books including Evening Chats in Beijing which was named a New York Times “Notable Book of the Year.” His most recent book, written with Wu Dazhi, is I Have No Enemies: The Life and Legacy of Liu Xiaobo. Link earned a Ph.D. in Chinese history from Harvard University. He is Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies at Princeton University and Chancellorial Chair for Teaching Across Disciplines at University of California, Riverside, and he lives in Riverside, CA.