The book tells the story of a mother and her eight daughters and one son, and explores Chinese history through the 20th century.

The novel enthusiastically praises the original creator of life—the greatness, simplicity and selflessness of the mother, and the unparalleled significance of the inheritance of life.

In 1997, Big Breasts and Wide Hips won China's Master Literature Award.

Big Breasts and Wide Hips received near universal critical acclaim from Western literary critics who praised Mo Yan's inventive storytelling and use of his unique style of magical realism to describe the surrealism the average Chinese peasant felt living under the Japanese occupation.

"[3] Jonathan Yardley of The Washington Post praised Mo Yan's dedication to feminism throughout the novel, but offered numerous reservations about the quality of the novel.