He is that rare multitalented artist who excels as novelist, playwright, essayist, director, and painter. Soul mountain by gao xingjian, mabel lee, paperback. Soul mountain by gao xingjian, translated by mabel lee flamingo. Download book soul mountain by xingjian gao buy mp3. There is no plot and, apart from the narrator and his alter egos, other characters are only briefly encountered, before he moves on. Soul mountain was written by a chinese novelist, translator, dramatist, director, critic and artist gao xingjian. Soul mountain and one mans bible, the two novels for which he was awarded the 2000 nobel. Soul mountain was a beautiful book and a portrait of physical as well as spiritual journeys. Nobel prizewinning chinese author gao xingjian s novel soul mountain 2000 is the nonlinear story of an unnamed narrator who ventures into the heart of rural china to find the legendary, elusive lingshan soul mountain. He is in search of something, some answer, some mythical place he calls soul mountain. Gao xingjian article about gao xingjian by the free dictionary.
The first onethird part of the book is rather engaging and enjoyable. Soul mountain, with its powerful themes of loneliness and of the individual as outsider, is a meditation on the. The novel is loosely based on the authors own journey into rural china, which was inspired by a false diagnosis of lung cancer. In her article, nobel laureate 2000 gao xingjian and his novel soul mountain, mabel lee introduces gao xingjian, the winner of the nobel prize in literature of 2000. Gao xingjian, chinese emigre novelist, playwright, and critic who in 2000 was awarded the nobel prize for literature for an oeuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity. Born in 1940 shortly after the japanese invaded china, gao xingjian laments his dead by imagining them gathered at a table to which he is yet to be invited.
Soul mountain by gao xingjian, translated by mabel lee. Gao xingjian s novel, soul mountain, is about a similar wandering. I like this book because i am drawn to eastern thought and philosophy. Transnational conglomerates today control the book industry from publishing. He wants to take a break and start looking for an authentic life meaning the opposite of that of the states concept of real life. A texas writer who listens to soul mountain while driving in his car around houston describes gao xingjians ambivalence towards the modern. The novel is a part autobiographical, part fictional account of a mans journey to find the fabled mountain lingshan. When xingjian finally achieves this state and publishes soul mountain, the book becomes the winner of the nobel prize for literature, and remains, like the quest for soul mountain itself, a diverse and wondrous travelogue along the most common human highways. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Gao xingjian began writing soul mountain, the introspective and experimental novel key to his winning the nobel prize in literature, in beijing in the summer of.
In several interviews ive watched, he said in good french. He earned 1962 a degree in french in beijing and embarked upon a literary life. Unlike such realist writers as lu xun, gao xingjian does not want to be the voice of an entire nation. Among gao s works, the novel soul mountain harpercollins 2000 was singled out for special acclaim by the swedish academy. Nobel laureate 2000 gao xingjian and his novel soul mountain. In 1983 chinese playwright, critic, fiction writer, and painter gao xingjian pronounced gow shingjen was diagnosed with lung cancer and faced imminent death. In reality, he just wanders around, traveling wherever fate sends him. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. He is also a noted translator particularly of samuel beckett and eugene ionesco, screenwriter, stage director, and. Hes primarily a playwright, but hes written a couple of novels, and soul mountain was mentioned by the nobel committee as his magnum. Unlike many other readers, i could not detect any deep moral or religious questioning on the part of the author, nor is there a spiritual awakening in this book. Chineseborn writer whose works include the play bus stop and the novel soul mountain.
Its under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth. Neither figurative nor abstract, his paintings play with light and shadow and point toward narratives, often including the silhouette of a figure travelling into the distance. Soul mountain, by gao xingjian 1292 words 123 help me. Gao xingjian whose name is pronounced gow shingjen is the first chinese recipient of the nobel prize in literature. Faced with a repressive cultural environment and the threat of a spell in a prison farm, gao fled beijing and began a journey of. Click to read more about soul mountain by gao xingjian. In her article aesthetics in gaos soul mountain mabel lee analyses nobel laureate 2000 xingjian gaos aesthetics. Among gaos works, the novel soul mountain harpercollins 2000 was singled out for special acclaim by the swedish academy. What now passes for criticism is what i would call a mimetic criticism, which. Born in 1940 in jiangxi province, gao xingjian earned a degree in french literature in beijing and settled in paris in 1987. Gao xingjian s soul mountain is a novel concerned with creativity and is made up of fragmented parts that somehow join together to create a whole story. Gao xingjians novel, soul mountain, is about a similar wandering.
He earned 1962 a degree in french in beijing and embarked upon a literary life, which was cut short by the cultural revolution cultural revolution, 196676, mass mobilization of urban chinese youth inaugurated by mao zedong in an attempt to prevent the development of a. Download book soul mountain by xingjian gao buy mp3 kindle pdf macbook djvu iphone. His search for meaning in life, in the journey turns up the possibility that there may be no meaning. Gao xingjian synonyms, gao xingjian pronunciation, gao xingjian translation, english dictionary definition of gao xingjian. The result of this epic voyage moountain discovery is soul mountain. The result of this epic voyage of discovery is soul mountain. Nobel prizewinning chinese author gao xingjians novel soul mountain 2000 is the. Soul mountain is an incredible epic that benefits from an author capable of describing the sound of a river at night with a great sense of poetry.
In 1983, chinese playwright, critic, fiction writer, and painter gao xingjian was diagnosed with lung cancer and faced imminent death. The motive for the journey is an encounter on a train with a man who is going to ling shan soul mountain. Theater at hong kong festival, a nobel laureate returns. Part travel diary, part philosophy, part love story, soul mountain is a novel that journeys deep into the heart of modernday china. The soul mountain lingshan continues to elude gao, and the closest thing he ever got to is the soul rock lingyan where women burn incense when they want to have sons. Lin zhaohuas production of gao xingjians of mountains and seas is the first time in more than. Lee is the translator of several of gaos works from the chinese into english, including the nobels main text of reference, soul mountain first published in chinese in 1990. The two outstanding literary characteristics of gao xingjians masterful novels soul mountain and one mans bible are autobiographical elements and formal experimentation. After he learns his diagnosis of lung cancer is false, he seeks renewal as he searches for lingshan, the allegorical and actual goal of his title. Like reading this chapter is optional but as youve read it youve read it. I found myself continually following his images in my mind, ending up far away from the printed page, back in my own wanderings alone in china. By rejecting literary realism which has been chinas official discourse on reality, and by adopting the aesthetics of western modernism, gao also accepts the powerlessness of. In addition to soul mountain and one mans bible, a book of his plays, the other shore, and a volume of his paintings, return to painting, have been published in.
Hes primarily a playwright, but hes written a couple of novels, and soul mountain was mentioned by the nobel committee as his magnum opus and the primary cause for the award. Gao xingjian recounts his wanderings round the southern part of china. Meetings with friends or strangers, attempts at conversation, lines of poetry. It is about a man, an intellectual, a writer, an anthropologist, whose mission is to collect folk culture all around him. Gao xingjian definition of gao xingjian by the free dictionary. Gao xingjians soul mountain has been viewed as an intellectual reaction to social progress industrialization and urbanization as defined by the chinese government. His plays and translations set the trend for experimental drama in china, and he wrote soul mountain harpercollins based on a journey he made through the remote mountains and. In soul mountain, author gao xingjian defies all conventional rules of fiction.
To mark chinese new year, our literary correspondent delves into a thoughtful chinese novel western readers can enjoy. Born in 1940 in jiangxi province in eastern china, he has lived in france since 1987. But six weeks later, a second examination revealed there was no cancerhe had won a second reprieve from death. After suffering political persecution and being forced to destroy his paintings during the cultural revolution, gao fled china to begin a life in exile in 1987, later becoming a french citizen. Gaos winning the 2000 nobel prize for literature meant that it was the first time the prize had been awarded for a body of chineselanguage writings. Soul mountain quotes showing 125 of 25 you should know that there is little you can seek in this world, that there is no need for you to be so greedy, in the end all you can achieve are memories, hazy, intangible, dreamlike memories which are impossible to articulate. Gao xingjian is the first chinese recipient of the nobel prize in literature. Gao xingjian is the first, and only, chinese author to win the nobel prize for literature, which he won in 2000. Gao xingjian discussed his novel soul mountain, published by harpercollins, for which he was the first recipient to receive the nobel prize in literature for writing in chinese. By rejecting literary realism which has been chinas official discourse on reality, and by adopting the aesthetics of western modernism, gao also accepts the powerlessness of literature to shape social change and diminishes the moral authority of criticism.
This chapter looks at how gao xingjian, the 2000 nobel prize laureate in literature, has brought zhuangzis spirit of absolute liberation and freedom to the highest level. Chinese playwright, critic, and nobel prizewinning novelist gao xingjian also produces poetic and complex inkonpaper paintings. Neither figurative nor abstract, his paintings play with light and shadow and point toward narratives, often including the silhouette of. 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. A discussion of his novel soul mountain and the poems as free as a bird and roaming spirit and metaphysical thinking shows how gaos selfexile and his persistent pursuit of the aesthetic spirit of literature. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Gao s winning the 2000 nobel prize for literature meant that it was the first time the prize had been awarded for a body of chineselanguage writings. Gao xingjians soul mountain is a novel concerned with creativity and is made up of fragmented parts that somehow join together to create a whole story. About the olympic games, gao commented, that everybody is aware about censorship in chinaantispiritual pollution campaign.
Soul mountain is not a linear novel that can be rushed through or read diagonally. Firstly though is a detailed look at soul mountain by chinas first winner of the nobel prize for literature, gao xingjian. Li wanted to escape the literary world and the smoke of his room. Nobel prizewinning chinese author gao xingjians novel soul. It is a thoughtful, slow moving novel which opens many doors for an. Gao xingjian article about gao xingjian by the free. He was also renowned as a stage director and as an artist. Xingjian has described his ink works as more than selfexpression, selfpurification. The novel is at least partly inspired by xingjian s own travels, interspersed with both real and imagined characters, snippets of folklore, and various fantasies and fictional episodes. Gao xingjian is an artistic innovator, in both the visual arts and literature. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of soul mountain by gao xingjian. In her article aesthetics in gao s soul mountain mabel lee analyses nobel laureate 2000 xingjian gao s aesthetics. Oct 23, 2001 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.
His plays and translations set the trend for experimental drama in china, and he wrote soul. Mar 11, 2011 listen to soul mountain audiobook by gao xingjian. Fin his the failure of criticism, boston university professor eugene goodheart bemoans the fact that humanist criticism is threatened in spirit by the advances of modernism. And yet, he also has a precision in his writing that is almost icy in the way it captures both beauty and ugliness in people and in the world. The elusive lingshan soul mountain becomes the object of his quest. Gao xingjian born january 4, 1940 is a chinese emigre novelist, playwright, and critic who in 2000 was awarded the nobel prize for literature for an oeuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity. Gao xingjian definition of gao xingjian by the free. Lin zhaohuas production of gao xingjian s of mountains and seas is the first time in more than two decades that a mainland chinese cast and crew have performed one of mr. Soul mountain was written for myself and without the hope that it would be published. Gao xingjian s soul mountain has been viewed as an intellectual reaction to social progress industrialization and urbanization as defined by the chinese government.
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