One mans bible by gao xingjian, translated by mabel lee in. One man s bible is the second novel by nobel prizewinning author gao xingjian to appear in english. In this case, i refer to the nobel laureate gao xingjian s latest novel, one man s bible, which is a fictionalized account of his life just before and during the cultural revolution in china. One mans bible is the second novel by nobel prizewinning author gao xingjian to appear in english. Moving between the nightmare of the cultural revolution and the tentative, limited liberties of the china of the 1990s, one mans bible weaves memories of a beijing boyhood and amorous encounters in hong kong with a fictionalized account of gao xingjians life under the communist regime where a single sentence spoken ten years earlier can. Moving between the nightmare of the cultural revolution and the tentative, limited liberties of the china of the 1990s, one man s bible weaves memories of a beijing boyhood and amorous encounters in hong kong with a fictionalized account of gao xingjian s life under the communist regime where a single sentence spoken ten years earlier can. He is also a noted translator particularly of samuel beckett and eugene ionesco, screenwriter. Otherwise, alas, one mans bible is repetitive, discursive, and declamatory to a degree that leaches away far too much of the drama inherent in its content. Daily life is riddled with paranoia and fear, and government propaganda turns citizens against one another. In this case, i refer to the nobel laureate gao xingjians latest novel, one mans bible, which is a fictionalized account of his life just before and during the cultural revolution in china.
Throughout the book, the chapters alternate between the narrator describing. One mans bible by gao xingjian book club discussion. Dec 20, 2019 gao xingjian lives in bagnolet, france. It was one of the most obscure decisions taken by that mysterious committee in stockholm. The story opens in a hong kong hotel in 1996 with the unnamed chinese narrator an internationally successful playwright and his temporary paramour, a white jewish woman of german descent named margarethe. One mans bible has 2 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. One man s bible is a fictionalized account of gao xingjian s life under the chinese communist regime. The chiang kaishek one made a tinkle, compared with the clank of the thick and heavy yuan shikai big bald head. First american edition, signed and dated by the first chinese winner of the nobel prize for literature on the half title. Buy one mans bible new ed by gao xingjian, mabel lee isbn.
One mans bible book by professor gao xingjian 2 available. Gao xingjians semiautobiographical novel, one mans bible, is the first i have encountered, and the results are hauntingly devastating. In one mans bible, gao xingjian juxtaposes two time periods. One mans bible by gao xingjian, translated by mabel lee 450pp, flamingo.
Sep 16, 2003 one man s bible is a fictionalized account of gao xingjian s life under the chinese communist regime. It is a place where a single sentence spoken ten years earlier can make one an enemy of the state. Wjf jenner is unimpressed with one mans bible, the latest offering from chinas nobel laureate, gao xingjian. Gao xingjian s semiautobiographical novel, one man s bible, is the first i have encountered, and the results are hauntingly devastating.
Maybe the title is just misleading no fault of the translation. One mans bible hardcover september 1, 2002 by gao xingjian author 3. I have read soul mountain, buying a fishing rod for my grandfather short stories and now this. Buy one man s bible new ed by gao xingjian, mabel lee isbn. Gao xingjian prose excerpt from one mans bible by gao xingjian. Le livre dun homme seul is a novel by gao xingjian. In one mans bible, gao gives us a profound meditation on a life marked by personal and like another nobel prize winner, aleksandr solzhenitsyn, gao xingjian, chinas leading novelist and playwright, mixes autobiographical details with fictional techniques to create indelible portraits of daily life under a harsh, dehumanizing political regime. He is that rare multitalented artist who excels as novelist, playwright, essayist, director, and painter. Pdf one mans bible book by gao xingjian free download. The first edition of the novel was published in april 1999, and was written by gao xingjian.
In a hong kong hotel room in 1996, gao xingjian s lover, marguerite, stirs up his memories of childhood and early adult life under the shadow of mao. 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. Set during the cultural revolution, the novel stars an alterego of gao who reflects on his previous experiences around the world. At the height of the cultural revolution, rather than risk having to face dire consequences for his accumulated writings, he burned several kilos of manuscripts ten plays. Daily life is riddled with paranoia and fear, and governm. One mans bible ebook by gao xingjian 9780061760303. In addition to soul mountain and one man s bible, a book of his plays, the other shore, and a volume of his paintings, return to painting, have been published in. But in 196676, all foreignlanguage books were banned. His writing embodies a silence that is hard achieved and even harder to sustain. One man s bible may be seen as a contest between two views of the past.
One mans bible is a fictionalized account of gao xingjians life under the. Gao xingjian grew up during the aftermath of the japanese invasion, his father was a bank official and his mother an amateur actress who stimulated the young gaos interest in the theatre. Octavo, original black and yellow paper boards, original dust jacket. In a hong kong hotel room in 1996, gao xingjians lover, marguerite, stirs up his memories of childhood and early adult life under the shadow of mao. One mans bible quotes showing 111 of 11 another issue was language, the problem of expressing these themes in language and the problem of how much. One mans bible by gao xingjian, translated by mabel lee in asianweek. The protagonist of one mans bible is a middleaged writer from china who has been living in western exile already for years and who tries to exist only in the instant avoiding all thoughts of a past that sometimes still haunts him in nightmares. Gao xingjian, quote from one mans bible prior to that i had written many works but i was unable to present them for publication, in fact i had burned them all. Gao xingjian books list of books by author gao xingjian. The history of literature confirms plutarch, who wrote, you will find few of the wisest and most intelligent men buried in their own countries. See all books authored by gao xingjian, including lingshan, and gei wo laoye mai yugan zhoumo sichongzou, and more on. Gao xingjian, born january 4, 1940 in ganzhou jiangxi province in eastern china, is today a french citizen. Gao xingjian biographical g ao xingjian, born january 4, 1940 in ganzhou jiangxi province in eastern china, is today a french citizen. Gao had been mainly a playwright, a poet, and a painter while still living in china.
One mans bible, 1999 poem edit while being forced to work as a peasant a form of education under the cultural revolution in the 1970s, gao xingjian produced many plays, short stories, poems and critical pieces that he had to eventually burn to avoid the consequences of his dissident literature being. It is a place where a single sentence spoken ten years earlier can make one an. 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. In a hong kong hotel room in 1996, gao xingjians lover, marguerite, stirs up his memories of childhood and early adult life. Following on the heels of his highly praised soul mountain, this later work is as candid as the first, and written with the same grace and beauty. One mans bible is a fictionalized account of gao xingjians life under the chinese communist regime. Gao wants to cut himself off from it completely a markedly unchinese attitude while margarethe, departing from the stereotype of the pragmatic, presentoriented westerner, insists that the past must be remembered, honored, understood. In one mans bible, the narrator is both participant in the cultural. In the recent past, there are the memories of the unnamed protagonist during mainland chinas disastrous cultural revolution. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. His new and longawaited novel one mans bible relates in fictional form his own participation in the revolution and his ultimate rejection of its goals. Unless gaos internationally acclaimed plays are a lot better than his fiction, its hard to understand why this writer was awarded a nobel prize.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 464 pages and is available in paperback format. When gao xingjian won the literature nobel in 2000, not many people had ever heard of him. Gao xingjian is an artistic innovator, in both the visual arts and literature. Pdf one mans bible book by gao xingjian free download 464. One mans bible may be seen as a contest between two views of the past.
Free download or read online one mans bible pdf epub book. Gao wants to cut himself off from it completely a markedly unchinese attitude while margarethe, departing from the stereotype of the pragmatic, presentoriented westerner, insists that. Up to 20 books are listed, in descending order of popularity. Gao xingjian grew up during the aftermath of the japanese invasion, his father was a bank official and his mother an. Gao xingjian, author, xingjian gao, author, mabel lee, translator, trans. Gao writes things like she is too intelligent to be a woman. Soul mountain by gao xingjian and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Writer of prose, translator, dramatist, director, critic and artist. Soul mountain by gao xingjian and a great selection of related books. One mans bible belongs to that sad class of books sold on the strength of their authors having won a prize. One mans bible gao xingjian ebook harpercollins publishers.