Simon Leys’s Followers (74)

Simon Leys

Born

in Brussels, Belgium

September 28, 1935

Died

August 11, 2014

Genre

History, Fiction

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Simon Leys is the pen-name of Pierre Ryckmans, who was born in Belgium and settled in Australia in 1970. He taught Chinese literature at the Australian National University and was Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Sydney from 1987 to 1993. He died in Sydney in 2014.

Writing in three languages - French, Chinese and English - he played an important political role in revealing the true nature of the Cultural Revolution. His many prizes include the Prix Renaudot, Prix mondial Cino Del Duca and the Christina Stead Prize.

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Simon Leys’s books

Average rating: 3.92 · 4,172 ratings · 570 reviews · 52 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Death of Napoleon 3.71 avg rating — 791 ratings — published 1986 — 28 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hall of Uselessness: Collected Essays 4.28 avg rating — 431 ratings — published 2011 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wreck of the Batavia: A True Story 3.73 avg rating — 457 ratings — published 2003 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	La felicidad de los pececillos. Cartas desde las antípodas by Simon Leys, José Ramón Monreal (Translator) 4.01 avg rating — 239 ratings — published 2008 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Chinese Shadows 4.10 avg rating — 114 ratings — published 1974 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Orwell ou l'horreur de la politique really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 66 ratings — published 2007 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Chairman's New Clothes: Mao and the Cultural Revolution by Simon Leys, Pierre Ryckmans 4.21 avg rating — 38 ratings — published 1971 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Burning Forest: Essays on Chinese Culture and Politics 4.26 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 1986 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Prosper: A Voyage at Sea really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Other People's Thoughts: Idiosyncratically Compiled By Simon Leys for the Amusement of Idle Readers 3.68 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2005 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Simon Leys (?)

“Whenever people wonder “What is the truth?” usually it is because the truth is just under their noses—but it would be very inconvenient to acknowledge it.”
― Simon Leys, The Hall of Uselessness: Collected Essays

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“Mao has never accepted the failure of the "Great Leap". As one of the texts reproduced below demonstrates, he would have preferred to see China perish from famine rather than readjust his own vision or recognize his mistakes.”
― Simon Leys, The Chairman's New Clothes: Mao and the Cultural Revolution

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“Had Don Quixote been simply and plainly mad, or had he indulged in a protracted game of self-deception and play-acting, we should not be talking of him now, Van Doren observes—“We are talking of him because we suspect that, in the end, he did become a knight.”
― Simon Leys, The Hall of Uselessness: Collected Essays

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Simon Leys’s Followers (74)

Simon Leys

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Simon Leys’s books