Novelist who left dentistry for fiction. His 活着 (To Live), about a man who loses his family one by one through decades of upheaval, is one of the best-selling modern Chinese novels and became a film by 张艺谋.
The film of 《活着》 won 葛优 the best actor prize at Cannes in 1994. His other best-known novels are 《许三观卖血记》 (Chronicle of a Blood Merchant) and 《兄弟》 (Brothers), which runs from the Cultural Revolution into the boom years.
culture
He says five years of pulling teeth showed him the least scenic place on earth, the mouth, and that he envied the staff of the county 文化馆 (cultural centre), who strolled the streets all day. Publishing stories got him a job there.
