"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
A destination chosen arbitrarily, at the suggestion of a fellow traveler, the elusive Lingshan becomes rich with meaning for the narrator of Soul Mountain. Meanwhile, the narrator himself shows a tendency to go forth and multiply. First he divides into You and I. Then You generates yet a third voice, a somewhat simple but intense young woman named She, followed by He--and none of these personae can resist the elemental lure of the sacred site. Indeed, the search for Lingshan becomes a metaphor for all spiritual striving:
Would it be better to go along the main road? It will take longer travelling by the main road? After making some detours you will understand in your heart? Once you understand in your heart you will find it as soon as you look for it? The important thing is to be sincere of heart? If your heart is sincere then your wish will be granted?Along the way, I and You mourn the devastations of the Cultural Revolution, when thousands of monuments, temples, and graves were reduced to rubble. The obliteration of these reminders of the dead becomes a torment to the narrators of the novel, who struggle to assert their individuality--itself a proscribed act in Communist China--against what they see as a false and brutal ideal that has swept away history, literature, and tradition as decisively as it has destroyed the ancient forests. (At one point Gao describes the sad spectacle of the few remaining pandas, who wander a shrinking woodland wearing electronic transmitters.) Seamlessly translated by the Australian scholar Mabel Lee, Soul Mountain is a masterpiece of self-observation set against a soulful denunciation of "progress" and practicality. --Regina Marler
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.75
Within U.S.A.
Book Description paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_371804763
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. 561 pages. Cover worn. Text tannedLoosely autobiographical ac count of renowned Chinese writer Gao Xinjian travels through the forests of central China and along the Chang River. The journey a llows the author to examine and explore modern-day Chinese societ y and philosophy. Author is a Nobel Literature prize winning Chin ese novelist and playwright who was a political refugee during th e Cultural Revolution. He currently resides in France. Translated by Australian-born Chinese academic Mabel Lee who is a Honorary Professor in Chinese Studies with the University of Sydney. Seller Inventory # 2746ai
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Fair. Loosely autobiographical account of renowned Chinese writer Gao Xinjian travels through the forests of central China and along the Chang River. The journey allows the author to examine and explore modern-day Chinese society and philosophy. Author is a Nobel Literature prize winning Chinese novelist and playwright who was a political refugee during the Cultural Revolution. He currently resides in France. Translated by Australian-born Chinese academic Mabel Lee who is a Honorary Professor in Chinese Studies with the University of Sydney. 561 pages. Seller Inventory # 1445201
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Reprint. 561 pages. Book is in Very good condition throughout. Seller Inventory # 204914
Book Description Trade Paperback. Condition: Good. Reprint. Size: Octavo (standard book size). 561 pages. Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting. Binding is tight, covers and spine fully intact. Pages lightly tanned throughout. The book has been read and carries some marks and creases. This book is available and ready to be shipped. In 1983, Chinese playwright, critic, fiction writer, and painter Gao Xingjian was diagnosed with lung cancer and faced imminent death. But six weeks later, a second examination revealed there was no cancer--he had won "a second reprieve from death." Faced with a repressive cultural environment and the threat of a spell in a prison farm, Gao fled Beijing and began a journey of 15,000 kilometers into the remote mountains and ancient forests of Sichuan in southwest China. The result of this epic voyage of discovery is Soul Mountain. Bold, lyrical, and prodigious, Soul Moutain probes the human soul with an uncommon directness and candor and delights in the freedom of the imagination to expand the notion of the individual self. Gao Xingjian won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2000. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilogram. Category: Family & Relationships; China; literature, Literary, Poetry & Drama. ISBN: 073226779x. ISBN/EAN: 9780732267797. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 7513. Seller Inventory # 7513