Wang Wen-hsing is one of the most distinguished writers in contemporary Taiwan. His two novels, Family Catastrophe and Backed Against the Sea, embody some quintessential elements of modernist aesthetics. Dimensions of narrative language, especially its psycho-acoustic effects and symbolic potentialities, are explored to the fullest extent therein. Probing the dark recesses of family ethics and exposing the limits of human dignity, these works pose serious challenges to Taiwan’s conservative and conformist dominant culture formed in the martial-law period. Wang’s relentless endeavors to build a distinctive model of literary creation has earned him enormous reverence in academic circles. Further testimonials of his exceptional achievement include two prestigious awards, the Taiwan’s National Award for Arts in Literature (2009) and the French Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (2011).——Sung-Sheng Yvonne Chang

READINGS

3 PAGES OF EXCERPT FROM MAN WITH CLIPPED WINGS

《剪翼史》


FAMILY CATASTROPHE (CH. 83)



(The following recording is provided through the courtesy of Professor Peng Yi and taken from his project
"Gramophone: The Prosody of Modernity, the Case of Wang Wen-Hsing" sponsored by the National Science Council [Ministry of Science and Technology])


BACKED AGAINST THE SEA VOL. 2 (PP. 362 - 364)


(The following recording is provided through the courtesy Professor Peng Yi and taken from his project
"Gramophone: The Prosody of Modernity, the Case of Wang Wen-Hsing" sponsored by the National Science Council [Ministry of Science and Technology])


ONLINE READINGS

VIDEOS









Translated by Edward Gunn
New York: East Asia Program Cornell University (September 1993)

With his exceptionally skillful manipulation of words as seen in Family Catastrophe and Backed against the Sea, Wang has established a new paragon in Taiwan Literature. Backed against the Sea is Wang’s second novel, which took him twenty-five years to complete. Applying ultimate deliberation over each choice of words, as well as forms of modern fables, he reflects on fundamental problems in humanity and in the society through one man’s ups and downs, dilemmas and breakthroughs. In the book, the literary style and content are closely intertwined, adopting an even more avant-garde language skill than that in Family Catastrophe. It is the epitome of his art.
Quoted from 臺灣文學網

TRANSLATIONS