Marvels of a Floating City

by Xi Xi, 西西

A collection of Xi Xi's short fiction on life in the turbulent and fascinating Hong Kong of the 1980s.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, China

106 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

About the author

Xi Xi (Chinese name: 西西) was born in Shanghai in 1937 and moved to Hong Kong in 1950. She is one of the most acclaimed writers in the Sinophone world. Hailed by critics as a major and unique voice in global Sinophone literature and a stylistic innovator across genres, she has published more than 30 books of different genres in addition to newspaper and magazine columns and screenplays. Xi Xi is the winner of the 6th Newman Prize for Chinese Literature in 2019.

Reviews

[Caley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this imaginative depiction of the divisions felt within Hong Kong's multicultural identity and the ekphrastic expansions on Magritte's paintings. However, at times the narrative was a bit disjointed and confusing, with some of the descriptions of the paintings lacking a coherent link to the rest of the text.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for CMLIT10

[Amélie · Rating 3 out of 5]

abstract almost to the point of incomprehension. but so interesting. i love the impressionists.