Fish King

Царь-рыба

The novel "The Fish King" is Viktor Astafiev's most distinctive masterpiece and a classic of contemporary Russian literature. Composed of thirteen relatively independent narrative short stories, each centered on the relationship between humanity and nature, the book offers a detailed and intimate portrayal of the enigmatic Siberia, the people who inhabit it, and their reflections on life. This desolate and bitterly cold natural environment is also a place where nature reveals its vast, magnificent, and bountiful beauty. Humanity's footprints there, though scant, carry with them the dignity of life's enduring presence.
These chapters display a unique style in ideological content and artistic form, downplaying the plot and using delicate and vivid descriptions, "combining a novel, a novella, lyrical prose, and moral discussion into one" (Wang Xiaobo), revealing coherent content and imagery from different angles and methods, like a string of pearls accidentally strung together, each pearl reflecting dazzling light with its own beauty.
The Fish King originally consisted of thirteen chapters, one of which, "Heartless," was omitted from the first publication in 1975. All subsequent Chinese translations have relied on this abridged version. This new edition, translated by Russian translator Zhang Bing, includes this chapter, presenting the full story of this masterpiece for the first time. The book also includes the beautifully colored illustrations from the original Russian edition, fulfilling readers' long-awaited expectations.

2017-04-01

广西师范大学出版社

Ideal Country

644

9787549586547