fraeon
Films
BrowseTop 250
Series
TV ShowsAnimeTop 250 TVTop 100 Anime
Games
BrowseTop 100
Books
BooksMangaTop 125 BooksTop 100 Manga
For youTrendingTier ListsThe ArchiveLeaderboard
Log inSign up free
fraeon

Everything you watch, play and read — tracked, rated and remembered in one library.

Explore

  • Films
  • TV
  • Anime
  • Games
  • Books
  • Manga

Discover

  • Trending
  • Leaderboard
  • Find people
  • Lists
  • Tier lists

Company

  • Tour
  • About
  • Community guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Contact

© 2026 fraeon. All rights reserved. ·

Metadata from TMDB, RAWG, Jikan & Open Library. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Questions or ideas? mehmet@avortas.com

HomeFeedProfile
Grass soup

Grass soup

by Hsien-liang Chang

1994Political prisonersChinese prose literatureTranslations into EnglishChinese AuthorsBiography
0.0
Open Library
Open Library

About this book

Zhang Xianliang, one of China's greatest living writers, spent twenty-two years in Chinese prisons and labor camps until his "rehabilitation" in 1979. Through most of those years he kept a diary of his experiences. Because any detail would have meant the diary's destruction and Zhang's execution, the entries were curt and cryptic; sometimes entire days were condensed into two or three words. This is a frightening portrait of how a major civilization can bring itself to its knees by mass complicity (it would have been absurdly easy to escape from the camp, yet no prisoner ever thought to do so), told with a deft matter-of-factness that only highlights the horror. At the same time, Zhang does not ignore the minor kindnesses and moments of human recognition that dotted his prison years.

Themes & subjects

Political prisonersChinese prose literatureTranslations into EnglishChinese AuthorsBiographyHistory
First published 1994

Characters & people

Setting

China

Author

Hsien-liang Chang

First published

1994

Pages

247

Read time

≈ 6h

Editions

2

Language

English

Publisher

D.R. Godine

ISBN

1567920306

Where to buy

TR
Amazon Bookshop

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to write one from the Log screen.

Quotes

No quotes yet.

Discussions

Similar books

Implementation of the Helsinki accords

Admission of nonimmigrants · African cooperation

Implementation of the Helsinki accords

United States. Congress. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

1982

Один день Ивана Денисовича

Communism · Forced labor

Один день Ивана Денисовича

Александр Солженицын

1960

Sonnenfinsternis

Fiction · History

Sonnenfinsternis

Arthur Koestler

1940

Архипелаг ГУЛАГ

Political prisoners · Concentration camps

Архипелаг ГУЛАГ

Александр Солженицын

1970

Long Walk to Freedom

Biography · Politics and government

Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela

1994

Крутой маршрут, Часть первая

Social conditions · Russian Prisoners

Крутой маршрут, Часть первая

Евгения Гинзбург

1967

Fernando Botero

Catalogues raisonnés · American Sculpture

Fernando Botero

Fernando Botero

1972

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Steam shovels · Fiction

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Virginia Lee Burton

1939

Der SS-Staat

Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei · Concentration camps

Der SS-Staat

Eugen Kogon

1946

Le mie prigioni

Biography · Carbonari

Le mie prigioni

Silvio Pellico

1813

Widerstand und Ergebung

Correspondence · Theologians

Widerstand und Ergebung

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

1951

Mohun, or, The last days of Lee and his paladins

Fiction · History

Mohun, or, The last days of Lee and his paladins

John Esten Cooke

1869

Proteus

Terrorism · Fiction

Proteus

Morris West

1979

No Easy Walk to Freedom

Africa, South · Race relations

No Easy Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela

1965

Essays

Chinese prose literature · San wen

Essays

Bing Xin

1974

Essays

Chinese prose literature · San wen

Essays

Shen, Congwen

1980

Bu yi wen cong

Chinese prose literature · Chinese essays

Bu yi wen cong

Haiying Yu

1997

Zhonghua bai nian jing dian san wen

Chinese prose literature

Zhonghua bai nian jing dian san wen

Shengyou Zhang

2004

Similar across media

Same mood, other forms — books, series, anime, games and beyond.

Film
The Elephant Man

A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.

4.0

The Elephant Man

1980

Game
Return of the Obra Dinn

Puzzle · Adventure

4.7

Return of the Obra Dinn

2018

Anime
Kingdom Season 5

Fifth season of Kingdom.

Action

4.4

Kingdom Season 5

2024 · 13 eps

Manga
Phoenix

From time immemorial to the age of space colonization, there is one legend that has stayed unchanged in every history book—the tale of the immortal bird Phoenix. A being whose blood is said to grant eternal life or wisdom, the radiant figure ensures the continuation of sentient life in the universe as it oversees human civilizations and their development. Yet, mankind remains a slave to its habits; from happiness and sorrow, to wrath and love, a myriad of emotions continue to play an integral part of human life. Simultaneously, time and time again, certain beliefs and agendas persist over the centuries to disturb the fragile equilibrium of the world's preordained nature and principles. It appears that fate, with its dynamic variables, can manifest itself in many ways—and oftentimes exhibits a bizarre sense of humor. [Written by MAL Rewrite] Note: This is an incomplete series due to Tezuka's death.

Drama · Fantasy

4.3

Phoenix

Tezuka Osamu

1966 · 19 ch

Film
Hidden Figures

The untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA and serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history – the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

4.0

Hidden Figures

2016

Game
God of War II

Platform · Hack and slash/Beat 'em up

4.6

God of War II

2007

Anime
Mushi-shi: Next Passage Part 2

Ghostly, primordial beings known as Mushi continue to cause mysterious changes in the lives of humans. The travelling Mushishi, Ginko, persists in trying to set right the strange and unsettling situations he encounters. Time loops, living shadows, and telepathy are among the overt effects of interference from Mushi, but more subtle symptoms that take years to be noticed also rouse Ginko's concern as he passes from village to village. Through circumstance, Ginko has become an arbiter, determining which Mushi are blessings and which are curses. But the lines that he seeks to draw are subjective. Some of his patients would rather exercise their new powers until they are utterly consumed by them; others desperately strive to rid themselves of afflictions which are in fact protecting their lives from devastation. Those who cross paths with Mushi must learn to accept seemingly impossible consequences for their actions, and heal wounds they did not know they had. Otherwise, they risk meeting with fates beyond their comprehension. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Adventure · Mystery

4.4

Mushi-shi: Next Passage Part 2

2014 · 10 eps

Manga
Billy Bat

Japanese-American Kevin Yamagata now authors the renowned detective comic book "Billy Bat" after serving in the Allied Forces in World War II. But as his series becomes a massive hit, Kevin discovers that his famed character, Billy Bat, already existed before within a Japanese comic. Worried that he may have unconsciously copied something he saw during his time there, Kevin returns to Japan to find Billy Bat's original creator and seek permission for him to use their character. However, as he traces back Billy Bat's roots, he finds himself unraveling a dark and twisted history of murders that somehow involve the character he thought he created. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Drama · Mystery

4.3

Billy Bat

Urasawa Naoki

2008 · 165 ch

Film
The Voice of Hind Rajab

January 29, 2024. Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A five-year old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. Her name was Hind Rajab.

4.0

The Voice of Hind Rajab

2025

Game
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Puzzle · Adventure

4.6

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

2013

Anime
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth

Twelve-year-old prodigy Rafal believes in living rationally, so as to earn praise and respect from society while not being led astray by his emotions. To this end, he publicly states his intention to study theology—the academic field held in highest regard in early 15th century Poland. However, an encounter with a mysterious man upends Rafal's life, sparking an illogical desire to instead pursue his passion for astronomy. Rafal is determined to prove the beauty and rationality of heliocentrism—the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun. This belief is considered heretical by the powerful Church, which promotes geocentrism—the Sun revolving around the Earth—as the sole truth of the universe. Those whose beliefs do not align with the will of the Church suffer unfathomably gruesome consequences. In pursuit of evidence for a heliocentric model of the universe, Rafal grapples with obtaining precise calculations and building empirical theories. His greatest challenge, however, lies in conducting this research discreetly—lest he wish to meet the same fate as other heretics. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Drama

4.4

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth

2024 · 25 eps

Manga
A Bride's Story

It is the 19th century in a tribal town near the Caspian Sea, Central Asia. People lead simple lives along the Silk Road, believing in various customs and traditions as they have for many years. Amir Halgal is a beautiful 20-year-old woman skilled in archery, hunting, and horseback riding. She has come from a faraway village for an arranged marriage to a charming 12-year-old boy by the name of Karluk Eihon. Due to the large age difference, the relationship between Amir and Karluk is a little awkward initially. However, everyday interactions between the two allow them to develop feelings of love and respect for each other that eventually strengthen their bond. Otoyomegatari follows the daily lives and challenges of Amir and Karluk alongside various other couples across Central Asia, in a beautiful portrayal of the culture and traditions of the brides of the era. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Award Winning · Romance

4.3

A Bride's Story

Mori Kaoru

2008