Donkey and Me: A Andalusian Lament

Author: Juan Ramón Jiménez
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: A book that has moved countless adults and is beloved by children of different skin colors worldwide. A Nobel Prize-winning literary classic, alongside The Little Prince and Charlotte's Web. Following the Bible and Don Quixote, it is the most popular work in the Spanish-speaking world. Renowned Chinese writers Yan Wenjing and Yu Guangzhong wrote heartfelt recommendations for this book. The unparalleled Jiménez saw beauty that our one hundred eyes combined could not perceive!
This is a duet of joy and sorrow, heart-wrenching and deeply moving. Sanmao said, "It's a book that makes you cry the moment you read the first chapter." It is a collection of "exquisite, lightweight essays" with exceptionally beautiful language and imagery. Taiwanese essayist Yu Guangzhong commented, "These one hundred-plus essays rarely narrate; they are mostly lyrical, often starting with descriptions of landscapes, then creating scenes, moving from the concrete to the abstract, achieving a harmonious interplay of reality and imagination. The most beautiful passages in the book are suffused with poetic sentiment—either depicting actions or imagining the extraordinary. This is a translation with exquisite brushwork, full of clever insights, and a rare gem. As another translator, Yu Guangzhong remarked, 'Lin Weizheng's new translation is faithful and reliable, elegant in style, and I highly recommend it to readers. If readers can read it in both Chinese and English side by side, they will undoubtedly benefit greatly.'
This little book tells the story of the author's genuine bond with a donkey named Puer. Puer was small in stature, with smooth, fluffy fur, intelligent, affectionate, and patient, becoming a playmate for many children and a confidant to the author. They relied on each other, wandering together through beautiful fields, villages, hills, churches, streets, and alleys, through the poet's hometown—Moguer in the province of Huelva, Spain. This is a series of landscapes from southern Spain, as well as a long lyrical poem dedicated to Puer. Under the author's delicate and vivid descriptions, Puer leaps off the page, captivating readers and touching the hearts of people around the world. The book was soon translated into English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, and other languages, and was adopted as a textbook in all Spanish-speaking countries. In Europe, it is as famous as The Little Prince and Charlotte's Web, becoming a household favorite.