April/China Reading: Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather: Stories by Gao Xingjian

[papayahed]

I broke down and ordered the book from Amazon. I don't think I've ever had this much trouble finding a book!

[NickAdams]

but I have Soul Mountain sitting on my bookshelf. LOL Wouldn't you know it!

Me too. I should've voted for it.

[NickAdams]

You have Soul Mountain on your bookshelf, too? I haven't read my copy yet, but I've been meaning to for a few years now. It's one vote is mine. I think it just has one vote. The other book sounds interesting to me, but I always have such bad luck with third party sellers. I'm afraid by the time it'd get here, with the luck I have, we'd ready for the May selection, but I might go ahead and try anyway.

It's only the 8th of April: would you like to read Soul Mountain together, and perhaps get others interested?

[NickAdams]

There is a thread for the reading of Soul Mountain, in the General Lit section, if anyone is interested.

[bouquin]

The view of gender roles in China are spelled out in In the Park and The Accident. The commentary at the end of The Accident felt intrusive. The title story opened well but streamed into an uninteresting finish, but I did find a quote I liked: "I want to write a novel so profound that it would suffocate a fly."

I will finish the last story tonight, but Temple and Cramp are the best crafted stories and my favorite of a collection that I'm not exactly thrilled about.



Am I missing anything?

The Accident is my favorite in this anthology. I think it's very well told. The remarks and dialogues are such a genuine reflection of what is said and thought of in real life. I like it when a great story can be taken out of seemingly ordinary events of everyday life.

[bouquin]

This seems to be a one man show.

In an Instant feels like the description of a film script and storyboard. Like the opening of Bergman's Persona.

I enjoyed Temple and Cramp, but didn't care for the others.

Not a waste. Enjoying two out of six stories brings it below average. I got it!

I liked Temple; I liked Cramp, and The Accident. I didn't care much for the others, especially In an Instant - too weird, too easy.

[NickAdams]

The Accident is my favorite in this anthology. I think it's very well told. The remarks and dialogues are such a genuine reflection of what is said and thought of in real life. I like it when a great story can be taken out of seemingly ordinary events of everyday life.

I might have enjoyed it more, if Xingjian would have kept to the scene. I know it's my Western mind, but the closing commentary turned me off.

I liked Temple; I liked Cramp, and The Accident. I didn't care much for the others, especially In an Instant - too weird, too easy.

Too easy indeed. Xingjian seems to be an earnest author, with no interest in puzzles. His images are on par with Taoist text.

[papayahed]

I've read the first story, The Temple. I thought it was ok. I didn't really see the point, though.
I was little confused by the narration, sometimes he said "you" meaning the wife, and sometimes he said "you" referring to someone else. His friends at home, maybe?

The nature and circumstance of the narration left me with more questions than the story.

A third-person subjective would have been my route. It seems the influence Beckett had on him was superficial. Xingjian wants to interact with the reader through first-person, with little reason as to why.

It seemed to me he was telling the story with his wife next to him. I was waiting for the old man to give some sort of insight or something. Not much to the story but it did make me want to know about their previous hardships.

[Weisinheimer]

I read In the Park, and Cramp. I didn't really get Cramp at all. I liked In the Park, that's my favorite of the three I've read so far. But it seems to me that none of the stories go anywhere, I don't see the point. I'm beginning to think I don't like short stories in general.

[papayahed]

In the park - I didn't like it so much, it's not much of a story more like a little sample of life. although I have to wonder why the guy was so taken with the crying woman.

I liked The Cramp and The Accident.

[papayahed]

I just read Buying a fishing rod for my grandfather. I was following it until he started with the soccor game in the middle of the story. what's up with that?

[NickAdams]

I just read Buying a fishing rod for my grandfather. I was following it until he started with the soccor game in the middle of the story. what's up with that?

What is up with that?

I assume he was showing how background events influences a narrator as he tells a story. I guess Keyser Söze was telling the story. Soccer doesn't interest me, or the story. A radio broadcast might have worked better for me.

[Chesterfield]

I was looking at the synopsis for this book, researching and whatnot, and it seems like a good purchase; Is this worth buying?

[papayahed]

What is up with that?

I assume he was showing how background events influences a narrator as he tells a story. I guess Keyser Söze was telling the story. Soccer doesn't interest me, or the story. A radio broadcast might have worked better for me.

I read the synopsis of the story, and that makes sense. How different and seemingly random memories pop up when telling stories.

I was looking at the synopsis for this book, researching and whatnot, and it seems like a good purchase; Is this worth buying?

All I can say is that I would rather have gotten the book from the library.