Written as the ludicrous and disturbing ramblings of an errant, pseudo-intellectual urbanite secluding himself from the underworld in an impoverished coastal village of Taiwan in the early 1960s, this novel prompted the first critical discussion of postmodernism in Chinese fiction and still stands as the most provocative and innovative narrative published in Taiwan over the past two decades.

Written as the ludicrous and disturbing ramblings of an errant, pseudo-intellectual urbanite secluding himself from the underworld in an impoverished coastal village of Taiwan in the early 1960s, this novel prompted the first critical discussion of postmodernism in Chinese fiction and still stands as the most provocative and innovative narrative published in Taiwan over the past two decades.

This volume consists of translations of twenty-four fictional works and five essays by Wang Wen-Hsing, plus a dedicated author's preface. Wang is one of the most celebrated modernist writers in Taiwan and the recipient of Taiwan's most prestigious National Culture and Arts Award (Literature Category). This anthology brings to English readers excellent works written in the earlier period of Wang's writing career; most of the works are published for the first time in English. This book is an important introduction not only toward understanding Wang's writings in particular, but also to understanding Taiwan modernist literature in general.

Written as the ludicrous and disturbing ramblings of an errant, pseudo-intellectual urbanite secluding himself from the underworld in an impoverished coastal village of Taiwan in the early 1960s, this novel prompted the first critical discussion of postmodernism in Chinese fiction and still stands as the most provocative and innovative narrative published in Taiwan over the past two decades.

Written as the ludicrous and disturbing ramblings of an errant, pseudo-intellectual urbanite secluding himself from the underworld in an impoverished coastal village of Taiwan in the early 1960s, this novel prompted the first critical discussion of postmodernism in Chinese fiction and still stands as the most provocative and innovative narrative published in Taiwan over the past two decades.

This volume consists of translations of twenty-four fictional works and five essays by Wang Wen-Hsing, plus a dedicated author's preface. Wang is one of the most celebrated modernist writers in Taiwan and the recipient of Taiwan's most prestigious National Culture and Arts Award (Literature Category). This anthology brings to English readers excellent works written in the earlier period of Wang's writing career; most of the works are published for the first time in English. This book is an important introduction not only toward understanding Wang's writings in particular, but also to understanding Taiwan modernist literature in general.