By Qian Zhongshu (錢鍾書); Edited with an introduction by Christopher G. Rea
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Qian Zhongshu
(錢鍾書) was one of twentieth-century China's most ingenious literary stylists, one whose insights into the ironies and travesties of modern China remain stunningly fresh. Between the early years of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and the Communist takeover in 1949, Qian wrote a brilliant series of short stories, essays, and a comedic novel that continue to inspire generations of Chinese readers.
With this long-awaited translation, English-language readers can immerse themselves in the invention and satirical wit of one of the world's great literary cosmopolitans. This collection brings together Qian's best short works, combining his iconoclastic essays on the "book of life" from
Written in the Margins of Life (寫在人生邊上) (1941) with the four masterful short stories of
Human, Beast, Ghost (人獸鬼) (1946). His essays elucidate substantive issues through deceptively simple subjects-the significance of windows versus doors, for example, or the blind spots of literary critics—and assert the primacy of critical and creative independence. His stories blur the boundaries between humans, beasts, and ghosts as they struggle through life, death, and resurrection. Christopher G. Rea situates these works within China's wartime politics and Qian's literary vision, highlighting significant changes that Qian Zhongshu made to different editions of his writings and providing unprecedented insight into the author's creative process.
(Excerpt from amazon.com)
長久以來，人們普遍認為人類的能力有種種極限，儘管已經有許多科學研究證實這種觀點的錯誤，但根深蒂固的心態仍然阻礙著我們，使我們看不見許多潛藏的可能性，未能發掘與運用自己與他人的無限潛能，於是，在面對種種壓力、變革、與不確定性下，我們感到精疲力竭、黔驢技窮。不論我們多麼勤奮努力，不論我們付出多少，仍然無法達到期盼的生活與境界。其實，還有別的方法，生命可以有另一種不同的風貌。
