Stranger Stories

Author: Zhuang Xinzheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: This book is part of the "Tainan-Portugal Literary Discussions Series." The tradition of Chinese scholars reading has been lifelong. Wherever they go, no matter their circumstances, books have always been their constant companions, with each open volume bringing fragrance to their hands. Zhuang Xinzheng, a scholar, has been wandering through life since his school years—from the mainland to Taiwan to the United States. Through decades of ups and downs, much has changed, but his love for books remains steadfast. Under the "Stranger" column, he began writing book reviews, and this collection of literary discussions is titled Tales of Books in a Strange Land, in honor of his bookish connections in foreign lands. Tales of Books in a Strange Land is Zhuang Xinzheng's selected collection of literary discussions published in mainland China. As his writings on books often blend the past and present, East and West, and are hard to categorize, he decided to follow the method he used when compiling his book Glimmers of Time and Shadows, arranging them not by genre but by chronological order of writing. However, the longer pieces—remembrances of his mentor Xia Jia'an, rereadings of the brilliant Zhang Ailing, and discussions of James Joyce and his masterpiece Ulysses—were separated into a separate section for clarity.