answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

I do not think this is entirely accurate. There are many sub-genres of books about China: History, Travel, Art, Photography, etc. I am right now looking at the best-selling China HISTORY books on Amazon.com, and I see several Chinese authors at or near the top in terms of sales rank: Xinran, Ji-li Jiang, Anchee Min… In fact, two of the best selling (and controversial) Chinese History books ever (Mao: the Untold Story, and Wild Swans) were written by Jung Chang, a Chinese.

However it is correct to say that western authors are dominating the China TRAVEL genre: Peter Hessler, Colin Thubron, Tom Carter, Paul Theroux... I think this is due to the fact that westerners throughout history (most notably the Spanish and British) have had an innate inclination to explore abroad, whereas China has always been an extremely insular and isolated culture (Gavin Menzies might disagree with me on that point, however).

The whole "outsiders looking in" travel-writing style has always been extremely popular with readers, especially in the China genre, most probably because foreigners are able to notice the more "strange" and exotic elements of a foreign land than a native could.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why are all the bestselling books on China written by westerners?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

What are some of the bestselling books written by the author Conn Iggulden?

Some of the bestselling books written by Conn Iggulden include "The Gates of Rome," "The Field of Swords," and "The Blood of Gods." He is best known for his historical fiction novels, particularly his Emperor and Conqueror series.


In which languages were most books written before the Renaissance?

Most books in Europe were written in Latin. There were numerous books in the Arab World and in China that were written in other languages.


How many books has Caroline Myss written?

Caroline Myss has written around thirteen books in her career as an author. She is a an acclaimed New York bestselling author and writes primarily on medical related topics with a strong undercurrent of occult.


Who is the bestselling author of childrens books?

René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.


What is the bestselling tween book?

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is one of the bestselling books for tweens around the world.


Who writes shiver?

The Shiver series of books is written by Maggie Stiefvater. She is a #1 New York Times bestselling writer, and she lives in Virginia with her husband and their two kids.


What is Jennifer Crusie known for?

Jennifer Crusie is a bestselling author of romance novels. She has written many books, some of which include Faking It, The Cinderella Deal, and Maybe This Time.


What are some of the titles of the bestselling books written by Caroline Myss?

Caroline Myss, an author of books with self-help genre and motivational books, has many best-selling books. Some of the book titles include 'Invisible Acts of Power' and 'Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing'.


Did Stan lee co write the x men?

no, he expanded the stories to bestselling comic books.


How many books has James Patterson written with other writers?

James Patterson has co-authored over 125 books with other writers. He is well-known for collaborating with different authors to produce numerous bestselling novels across various genres.


What was an accomplishment of Andrew clements?

He wrote bestselling books like Frindle, The School Story, and The Landry News.


What are some books written by author Lisa Gardner?

Lisa Gardner has written a total of 225 books. Touch and Go, Maggie's Man, Catch Me, Live to Tell, The Next Accident, The Third Victim, Love You More, Live To Tell and The Killing Hour are just a few of the books written by Lisa Gardner.