{{Short description|Novel by Mai Jia}} {{Infobox book| <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books --> | name = Decoded | title_orig = | translator =Olivia Milburn, Christopher Payne (2014) | image = decoded.jpg | image_size = | caption = | author = Mai Jia | cover_artist = | country = China | language = Chinese | series = | genre = | publisher = | release_date = | media_type = Print (Hardcover) | pages = | isbn = | preceded_by = | followed_by = }} '''''Decoded''''' ('''{{lang|zh-Hans-CN|解密}}''') is a 2002 novel by Mai Jia. It tells the story of a brilliant Chinese mathematician recruited to work as a cryptographer for his country. It is set primarily in the period surrounding World War II and the continuing turmoil in China following the war. It is Mai Jia's first novel, as well as his first book to be translated into English.
The book was adapted into a 2016 TV series of the same name and into a 2024 film of the same name. In 2017, Jake Kerridge, writing in ''The Daily Telegraph'', declared it to be one of "the 20 best spy novels of all time."<ref>{{cite web|website=The Telegraph|title=The 20 best spy novels of all time|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/the-best-spy-novels-of-all-time/decoded-by-mai-jia-2002/|date=2017-01-06|access-date=2020-10-19|last=Kerridge|first=Jake}}</ref>
==Plot summary== ''Decoded'' tells the story of Rong Jinzhen, an orphaned genius. Rong is adopted by distant relatives who study mathematics at an unnamed Chinese university, and is soon recognized for his mathematical prowess. Rong comes under the wing of a visiting Polish professor named Liseiwicz, who recognizes Rong's brilliance and urges him to study artificial intelligence.
After Liseiwicz leaves China, Rong is approached by a government agent looking for the brightest students to bring into Unit 701, a government agency devoted to cryptography. At Unit 701, Rong cracks the nefarious Purple cipher, and soon becomes obsessed with cracking the Black cipher. After his notebook is stolen, however, Rong suffers a nervous breakdown from which he never recovers.
==Reception== ''The New York Times'' described ''Decoded'' as "a page turner" with "a gripping plot, otherworldly aura, and flamboyant detail."<ref>{{cite web|website=The New York Times |title=Spy Anxiety|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/books/review/decoded-by-mai-jia.html |date=2014-05-02|access-date=2020-10-19|last=Link|first=Perry}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' wrote that ''Decoded'' is "deft in its exploration of the world of mathematics and of cryptography."<ref>{{cite web|website=The Guardian |title=Decoded by Mai Jia review – 'An intriguing Chinese thriller' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/05/decoded-by-mai-jia-review |date=2014-04-05|access-date=2020-10-19|last=Hinton|first=Isabel}}</ref> It was also declared to be "a great Chinese novel" by ''The Economist''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2014/03/24/get-into-characters|title=Get into characters|date=2014-03-24|access-date=2020-10-19|website=The Economist|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201019111800/https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2014/03/24/get-into-characters|archive-date=2020-10-19|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also positively received overall by the ''Financial Times''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/0ac50c66-b343-11e3-b09d-00144feabdc0|title=‘Decoded’, by Mai Jia|date=2014-03-28|access-date=2020-10-19|website=Financial Times|last=Evans|first=David}}</ref> and the ''South China Morning Post''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1453975/mai-jias-newly-translated-first-novel-gives-readers-glimpse|title=Mai Jia's newly translated first novel gives readers a glimpse of enigmatic China|date=2014-03-23|access-date=2020-10-19|website=South China Morning Post|last=Kidd|first=James}}</ref>
A more mixed review appeared in the ''London Review of Books'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v36/n17/sheng-yun/sniffle|title=Sniffle|date=2014-09-11|access-date=2020-10-19|website=London Review of Books|last=Sheng|first=Yun}}</ref> and ''The Telegraph'' gave it a relatively neutral review.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10667139/Decoded-by-Mai-Jia-review.html|title=Decoded, by Mai Jia, review|date=2014-03-05|access-date=2020-10-19|website=The Telegraph|last=Aw|first=Tash}}</ref> == See also == * Encryption * Spy fiction * Chinese literature
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/chi-decoded-mai-jia-20140328-story.html ''Chicago Tribune'' review]
Category:2002 Chinese novels Category:Novels set in the 1940s Category:Novels about security and surveillance Category:Chinese novels adapted into films Category:Spy novels adapted into films Category:Chinese novels adapted into television series