Grandmother Sharon

A selection of short and medium-length stories by the heavyweight Malaysian Chinese writer Zhang Guixing.
The eight novels are like ghosts and monsters, each with a ferocious appearance.
A carnival of words that embroiders with random needles and mocks reality.
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●Editor's recommendation☆ Zhang Guixing, the literary alchemist of contemporary Malaysian Chinese literature, uses the tropical rainforests of his hometown, Borneo, as the setting for his works, describing the survival dilemmas, love, hatred, and blood and tears of the Nanyang Chinese community. His writing style is strong, and he uses rich and gorgeous poetic rhetoric to depict the fierceness, violence and splendor of the rainforest, which is a great wonder in contemporary Chinese literature.
A violently unbridled, multifaceted adventure, the narrative straddles satire, humor, and suspense, with scenes traversing the rural landscapes of the ancient Central Plains and the modern metropolis of Taipei. This interplay of diverse elements creates an explosive flow in each novel, each distinct from the rainforest-like style of "Sylian's Song," "The Monkey Cup," and "Wild Boar Crossing the River." If Zhang Guixing represents another possible form of Chinese writing, "Salon Grandmother" embodies his myriad forms of raw energy.
☆ A fantastical fantasy that transcends realism and defies formula: extramarital affairs overflowing with illegitimate children, teacher-student romances, urban legends merging with nature conservation, and a dentist's love affair turning into a commercial success. Through Zhang Guixing's uniquely realistic portrayal, the often melodramatic plot becomes both more bizarre and more intriguing. "Salon Grandmother" resembles a blend of theater and Taiwanese drama, offering a surprising departure from traditional realism.
☆ The scene outside the rainforest, a white child and a colorful world. Conceived by veteran Taiwanese designer Cai Nansheng, the book uses the image of "escape" to connect with Zhang Guixing's adventure; the bright "orange and green" echo the freedom of narrative; and the heavy and velvety feel of the special paper "super-sensitive fiber" calms the whole book.
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● Synopsis: The legendary grandmother of a family is about to pass away, and the secret history of past immigrants and treasured memories are intertwined and resurfaced. To meet in secret and avoid surveillance, a university professor exchanges identities with a similar-looking worker, staging a campus black comedy with suspense and espionage elements. A Chinese student returns to his hometown, only to find himself a stranger due to his identity and language. Furthermore, a series of twists and turns leads to a high-speed car chase, a high-speed thrill that rivals that of an action movie, filled with the thrill of a desperate escape.
This book showcases Zhang Guixing's prowess in short and medium-length fiction, beyond his novels, and reveals a side of him that lacks a Malaysian Chinese identity. Diverse scenes and local experiences collide to create a vast paradise on paper, preciously preserving the fearless exploration of a literary master in his youth.
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●Celebrity Recommendation☆ Novels like "Salon Grandmother" are Zhang Guixing's ruminations on his experiences in Taiwan, consciously reflecting on his own writing position. In the inevitable transition that led him to his writing career in Taiwan, he is acutely aware of his ability to capture this writing experience, and his attempts to grasp the trends and structures of Taiwanese literary writing, both from his time as a sojourner and then as a resident, to his initial grasp of the local sensibility.
——Gao Jiaqian (Associate Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, National Taiwan University)
The inner and outer worlds of the characters in "Children of Keshan" are enriched and three-dimensional through the incorporation of a wealth of everyday material, woven through self-mockery and irony. The unfolding events are intricate and complex, and the specific facet of Taiwanese society that serves as the backdrop transcends the world conjured by simplistic realist literary styles constrained by certain concepts. The social ecology the author depicts transcends the confines of formulaic analysis, dazzling both emotionally and intellectually.
——Liu Daren (Taiwanese writer)
☆ Zhang Guixing has been deeply and widely influenced by Western literature, and because he grew up in Malaysia, he is often good at looking at the trends in Taiwanese society from the perspective of a "stranger" and has clear observations.
——Ye Shitao (Taiwanese writer)

2023-09-01

北京联合出版公司

Houlang, Houlang Literature

336

9787559668738