Flowers Are Not Flowers: Jack's English Short Story Collection

Author: Jack
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: The first time I read Jack's article was when he submitted it to our subsidiary magazine, Overseas English. Since I was also the magazine's editor, I had the chance to read his short stories. At that time, the only word I could use to describe my feelings was "shocking." I couldn’t understand how someone who wasn’t born and raised in China could have such a deep understanding of its culture and customs, and how he could grasp the subtle emotions of the Chinese people so thoroughly. I assumed he must have lived in China for a considerable amount of time. Later, through phone calls and emails, we gradually became acquainted. Amazed, I attributed this to his role as a writer—his extraordinary sensitivity, observation, and understanding had created these moving stories. This collection includes 18 original short stories by the author, filled with intense love, hatred, obsession, jealousy, joy, sorrow, despair—each emotion feels so real and touching. I hope readers can, like the editor, enjoy the beauty of these stories while also improving their English skills. To meet the needs of Chinese readers, each story in this book is preceded by an introduction that outlines the plot, giving readers a general idea of the story before they begin reading. Key words and difficult terms in the text are explained in detail, and all sentences are translated.