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馴羊記
第21屆 臺北文學年金獎得獎作品
融合西藏風土博物誌、遊記與抒情文學
以小說記寫西藏自然景物與人文風土的消亡與困境
也是一闕灑淚揮別昔日烏托邦的哀傷輓歌
一名旅者為了尋找雪豹，再次突破重重阻礙抵達青藏高原，獲准在保育研究站，進行七十二天的雪豹調查工作。回到臺灣，偶然翻開旅行日誌，發現自己的心仍停留在西藏，毅然決定休學，三度重返高原，這次他要追尋的又是什麼？
一九五○年代，宇田川慧海為了理解更精妙的佛法，遠渡印度非法入境西藏，當時藏軍和解放軍正在各地展開游擊戰，他最終落腳拉薩，與記憶日漸模糊但對佛法有精妙見解的桑吉仁波切一起生活。他將所聞見的經歷，寫成《馴羊記》。
徐振輔以兩條不同時空的故事主線，輔以藏戲《文成公主》故事，將西藏七世紀、二十世紀和當代的重要歷史場景摺疊在一起，讓所有的事件突破時間的限制、羅列眼前，赫然看清一般人認為佛光普照的青藏高原，其實從未平靜。歷經漢代的文化移植，文革席捲，造林停牧，藏人不只命如蜉蝣，原初天性與生活也早已歷劫數次，隨波逐流。
從當代旅者的視角看見藏地的生物萬象，彷如西藏博物誌，岩羊、鼠兔、雪豹、禿鷲等繫起草原生態的自然平衡，同時也從環境史地理學角度寫羊群流行病現象，拉出礦業汙染、草原鼠災、農牧衝突等環境議題，反映西藏正面臨的情感認同與經濟發展衝突。
整部小說語境優美，哲思與隱喻精妙，融合生態、地理、戲劇、建築、遊記等多種元素，將西藏的人文風景、牧民文化、藏人天性描摹得細緻入微，除了展現出作者深厚學養與田調豐富經驗，更處處可見對土地與人文的深情關照。在悼亡的哀惋中，《馴羊記》讓人們看見歷史如何在這片憂傷的高原上重複搬演，以及人民所面對的困境。
融合西藏風土博物誌、遊記與抒情文學
以小說記寫西藏自然景物與人文風土的消亡與困境
也是一闕灑淚揮別昔日烏托邦的哀傷輓歌
一名旅者為了尋找雪豹，再次突破重重阻礙抵達青藏高原，獲准在保育研究站，進行七十二天的雪豹調查工作。回到臺灣，偶然翻開旅行日誌，發現自己的心仍停留在西藏，毅然決定休學，三度重返高原，這次他要追尋的又是什麼？
一九五○年代，宇田川慧海為了理解更精妙的佛法，遠渡印度非法入境西藏，當時藏軍和解放軍正在各地展開游擊戰，他最終落腳拉薩，與記憶日漸模糊但對佛法有精妙見解的桑吉仁波切一起生活。他將所聞見的經歷，寫成《馴羊記》。
徐振輔以兩條不同時空的故事主線，輔以藏戲《文成公主》故事，將西藏七世紀、二十世紀和當代的重要歷史場景摺疊在一起，讓所有的事件突破時間的限制、羅列眼前，赫然看清一般人認為佛光普照的青藏高原，其實從未平靜。歷經漢代的文化移植，文革席捲，造林停牧，藏人不只命如蜉蝣，原初天性與生活也早已歷劫數次，隨波逐流。
從當代旅者的視角看見藏地的生物萬象，彷如西藏博物誌，岩羊、鼠兔、雪豹、禿鷲等繫起草原生態的自然平衡，同時也從環境史地理學角度寫羊群流行病現象，拉出礦業汙染、草原鼠災、農牧衝突等環境議題，反映西藏正面臨的情感認同與經濟發展衝突。
整部小說語境優美，哲思與隱喻精妙，融合生態、地理、戲劇、建築、遊記等多種元素，將西藏的人文風景、牧民文化、藏人天性描摹得細緻入微，除了展現出作者深厚學養與田調豐富經驗，更處處可見對土地與人文的深情關照。在悼亡的哀惋中，《馴羊記》讓人們看見歷史如何在這片憂傷的高原上重複搬演，以及人民所面對的困境。
360 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2021
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May 6, 2022
⭐️ 4.75/5.0
讀完這本書後赫然發現，寫得好只是這本書的基本，更讓我異常著迷的是這本書帶來的開闊視野和廣泛的議題書寫，書裡涵蓋的議題橫跨政治歷史文化生態和宗教，稍嫌可惜的是因為追求廣度而犧牲了深度，但整體又好似無傷大雅。換個角度來看，作者還很年輕，第一次出版長篇作品就能有如此見識，讓人相當期待未來的作品！
讀完這本書後赫然發現，寫得好只是這本書的基本，更讓我異常著迷的是這本書帶來的開闊視野和廣泛的議題書寫，書裡涵蓋的議題橫跨政治歷史文化生態和宗教，稍嫌可惜的是因為追求廣度而犧牲了深度，但整體又好似無傷大雅。換個角度來看，作者還很年輕，第一次出版長篇作品就能有如此見識，讓人相當期待未來的作品！
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
What's with these Taiwanese and their original fiction pretending to be 1) non-fiction travel notes, 2) translations from Japanese? That's, of course, a joke-comment on my extremely outsider position, as someone who happened to read two Taiwanese novels in recent months (and in my life), and both of them happened to do these two things. Both of them happened to be brilliant and right up my alley, by the way, so I should probably explore more in this direction.
In Chen-Fu Hsu's "What's a Snow Leopard to You?", we follow a Taiwanese author-naturalist who recalls an earlier trip to Central Eurasia in search of snow leopards, then visits Tibet - initially we only learn that the trip was quite eventful, leaving him in emotional dismay, but he's persuaded by an acquaintance to write up his impressions for publication, which he does, presumably with the rest of the novel being that manuscript prepared for publication. The narrator's own observations are interspersed with what seem to be copied excerpts from a diary of a Japanese monk about his stay in Tibet in the years of the Cultural Revolution, and fiction pieces written as if based on "real-life" traveller's impressions that are initially mentioned through the recalled interactions with the locals he meets. All of this, in fact, being part of a fictional novel in the first place, if you see what I mean. (I was reminded of Ukrainian Canadian author Maria Reva's idea that she's sewing a novel like a palace of yurts from smaller yurts. Seems to be an appropriate metaphor for this construction also in Hsu's novel, the image of yurts also being way closer from a cultural and geographical point of view.)
I can't say I was persuaded by the construction all the way through; somewhere around the middle, with the embedded stories, my reading pace was lagging as I was missing the narratorial first-person voice as the uniting thread. But it works, generally, especially the pretend-translations from a Japanese-language diary, which allow adding a dimension to the narrator's present-day impressions of Tibet, by providing a historical layer.
And so far, I haven't even touched the themes of the novel yet, unless we agree that the geographical setting is itself a definition of a theme - it is, here, obviously. It's commentary on the Chinese rule over Tibet, spanning from the violence of the Cultural Revolution era to the present-day authoritarian control. Traditional lifestyles of nomadic herders coexist here with digital authoritarianism. Slow violence via the exploitation of nature is also a recurring theme here, with the leitmotif of the snow leopards that the narrator hopes to observe and I should not spoil whether he succeeds in this.
The writing has some lucid-dreaming quality, which is also very much up my alley (though, as I mentioned, I like it more where the narratorial voice is present than in the embedded novellas).
This passage, for example, made me stop for quite a minute to question the nature of reality: in which of the possible worlds does geology straddle ecology and humanities, adding to this dream-like quality of the represented world that makes you doubt it is the same one you are used to. What a treat it was when the author returned to the issue toward the end of the novel and provided more keys to why on earth geology provides the connection between the natural and the cultural.
About the translation, which I am not very well equipped to judge, not being able to compare with the Chinese-language original: I can only say that the experience of reading it in the English translation was enjoyable. I searched around to see if there's anything else published by the author in any of the languages I read, and only came across reviews of a novel titled "Taming the Blue Sheep"... which was immediately identified by me as the same novel now known to us as "What's a Snow Leopard to You?"
Anyways, the English translation is now out in the wild (I'm a bit late with my review relative to the publication date).
Thanks to the publisher for the eARC made available to me through Edelweiss+. The opinions above are my own.
In Chen-Fu Hsu's "What's a Snow Leopard to You?", we follow a Taiwanese author-naturalist who recalls an earlier trip to Central Eurasia in search of snow leopards, then visits Tibet - initially we only learn that the trip was quite eventful, leaving him in emotional dismay, but he's persuaded by an acquaintance to write up his impressions for publication, which he does, presumably with the rest of the novel being that manuscript prepared for publication. The narrator's own observations are interspersed with what seem to be copied excerpts from a diary of a Japanese monk about his stay in Tibet in the years of the Cultural Revolution, and fiction pieces written as if based on "real-life" traveller's impressions that are initially mentioned through the recalled interactions with the locals he meets. All of this, in fact, being part of a fictional novel in the first place, if you see what I mean. (I was reminded of Ukrainian Canadian author Maria Reva's idea that she's sewing a novel like a palace of yurts from smaller yurts. Seems to be an appropriate metaphor for this construction also in Hsu's novel, the image of yurts also being way closer from a cultural and geographical point of view.)
all stories need to be told in the context of other stories for them to stay alive, the way a tree retains its vitality by being part of a forest.
I can't say I was persuaded by the construction all the way through; somewhere around the middle, with the embedded stories, my reading pace was lagging as I was missing the narratorial first-person voice as the uniting thread. But it works, generally, especially the pretend-translations from a Japanese-language diary, which allow adding a dimension to the narrator's present-day impressions of Tibet, by providing a historical layer.
And so far, I haven't even touched the themes of the novel yet, unless we agree that the geographical setting is itself a definition of a theme - it is, here, obviously. It's commentary on the Chinese rule over Tibet, spanning from the violence of the Cultural Revolution era to the present-day authoritarian control. Traditional lifestyles of nomadic herders coexist here with digital authoritarianism. Slow violence via the exploitation of nature is also a recurring theme here, with the leitmotif of the snow leopards that the narrator hopes to observe and I should not spoil whether he succeeds in this.
The writing has some lucid-dreaming quality, which is also very much up my alley (though, as I mentioned, I like it more where the narratorial voice is present than in the embedded novellas).
After returning from the trip, I'd planned to follow convention and study for a master's degree in ecology or something similar. But shortly before turning in my application, I felt indescribable undercurrents surging deep inside that pushed me toward unfamiliar areas of social science and humanities. Rounds of internal struggles later, I chose geology, a subject that straddles the two fields.
This passage, for example, made me stop for quite a minute to question the nature of reality: in which of the possible worlds does geology straddle ecology and humanities, adding to this dream-like quality of the represented world that makes you doubt it is the same one you are used to. What a treat it was when the author returned to the issue toward the end of the novel and provided more keys to why on earth geology provides the connection between the natural and the cultural.
About the translation, which I am not very well equipped to judge, not being able to compare with the Chinese-language original: I can only say that the experience of reading it in the English translation was enjoyable. I searched around to see if there's anything else published by the author in any of the languages I read, and only came across reviews of a novel titled "Taming the Blue Sheep"... which was immediately identified by me as the same novel now known to us as "What's a Snow Leopard to You?"
Anyways, the English translation is now out in the wild (I'm a bit late with my review relative to the publication date).
Thanks to the publisher for the eARC made available to me through Edelweiss+. The opinions above are my own.
July 17, 2021
作者企圖在一本小說內討論西藏歷史、社會、文化及生態等問題，野心很大，但鋪展開來還是條理分明。只是礙於文體所限，不少關於西藏風土人情和歷史地理的討論僅在兩條故事線中蜻蜓點水的帶過。有意讀這本小說的話，宜先參考一些關於西藏文化與歷史的介紹，方便了解故事情事的來龍去脈。
書中的宗教和政治元素雖佔了不少篇幅，但與坊間主流關於西藏問題的書籍大同小異，故在此不贅。全書最突出的反而是後半段對旅行的反思。作者把對異域的嚮往視為對生活的反抗，比起異域的風光，旅行者追求的實際是精神上的烏托邦，好讓他們能從枯燥的環境中短暫得到自主。書中點出旅行的另一樂趣在了追求他者的視域。異鄉的文化習俗與原生地不同，有營養的旅行該是教我們放下成見，接納異地風情的修行，儘管成果難以預料。
作者認為旅行的意義之一在於彌補身體與地方之間的情感缺失，為物理空間賦上意義，使空間成為地方。我對此不敢苟同。相信大部分人都對日常生活或工作環境有獨特情感，於是世界各地才會出現種種保育運動，由此可見人類為空間傾注情感的能力並沒有因繁忙和冷漠的生活而退化。要求人與短暫停留的異地建立關懷，未免苛求。疫情過後，相信大眾將直奔日韓觀光。在旅遊深受資本主義左右的今天，旅行的意義值得我們深思。
作者從台大昆蟲系畢業，現於研究所修讀地理，理科背景為小說添上一絲對自然生態的關懷，也是關於西藏的書藉中罕見的視角。作者為尋找雪豹而前往西藏，逐步帶讀者了解人類文明對高原淨土的破壞。最後作者在野外還是找不到雪豹，卻在西寧動物園中與牠遇上。人們千里迢迢到西藏尋找烏托邦，但可知道這希臘名詞除了指涉理想之地（eutopia），還代表了不存在之地（outopia）。
書中的宗教和政治元素雖佔了不少篇幅，但與坊間主流關於西藏問題的書籍大同小異，故在此不贅。全書最突出的反而是後半段對旅行的反思。作者把對異域的嚮往視為對生活的反抗，比起異域的風光，旅行者追求的實際是精神上的烏托邦，好讓他們能從枯燥的環境中短暫得到自主。書中點出旅行的另一樂趣在了追求他者的視域。異鄉的文化習俗與原生地不同，有營養的旅行該是教我們放下成見，接納異地風情的修行，儘管成果難以預料。
作者認為旅行的意義之一在於彌補身體與地方之間的情感缺失，為物理空間賦上意義，使空間成為地方。我對此不敢苟同。相信大部分人都對日常生活或工作環境有獨特情感，於是世界各地才會出現種種保育運動，由此可見人類為空間傾注情感的能力並沒有因繁忙和冷漠的生活而退化。要求人與短暫停留的異地建立關懷，未免苛求。疫情過後，相信大眾將直奔日韓觀光。在旅遊深受資本主義左右的今天，旅行的意義值得我們深思。
作者從台大昆蟲系畢業，現於研究所修讀地理，理科背景為小說添上一絲對自然生態的關懷，也是關於西藏的書藉中罕見的視角。作者為尋找雪豹而前往西藏，逐步帶讀者了解人類文明對高原淨土的破壞。最後作者在野外還是找不到雪豹，卻在西寧動物園中與牠遇上。人們千里迢迢到西藏尋找烏托邦，但可知道這希臘名詞除了指涉理想之地（eutopia），還代表了不存在之地（outopia）。
October 11, 2021
「這類作品與其說期待觀眾承諾一種道德立場，倒不如說，純粹想揭露一塊不為人知的腐敗風景。創作的基礎不是對人性的失望，相反地，他們擁有近乎崇高的信念，相信人們心底願意為此流下一滴眼淚。」
好像不管從什麼角度去介紹/說明/聊到這本書都會減少一點閱讀的樂趣，但我自己被全劇透架構之後仍然讀得非常非常喜歡，想要稍微用力地推薦出去。
我覺得這是一本能打破對「自然書寫」的框架的書，甚至令人對佛教信仰多了點認識，用字並不艱難，但擁有一不小心就捲入的魔力，讀起來膽戰心驚又心曠神怡。
好像路過一趟青藏高原，也順道瞥了一眼拉薩歷史，結構和假託虛構的部分其他人的 review 與相關介紹評論都講得很多了，分析這些我不怎麼擅長，不過不執著於寫史寫實，透過有些魔幻的場景安排，對我來說卻留下更深刻的印象。
好像不管從什麼角度去介紹/說明/聊到這本書都會減少一點閱讀的樂趣，但我自己被全劇透架構之後仍然讀得非常非常喜歡，想要稍微用力地推薦出去。
我覺得這是一本能打破對「自然書寫」的框架的書，甚至令人對佛教信仰多了點認識，用字並不艱難，但擁有一不小心就捲入的魔力，讀起來膽戰心驚又心曠神怡。
好像路過一趟青藏高原，也順道瞥了一眼拉薩歷史，結構和假託虛構的部分其他人的 review 與相關介紹評論都講得很多了，分析這些我不怎麼擅長，不過不執著於寫史寫實，透過有些魔幻的場景安排，對我來說卻留下更深刻的印象。
January 3, 2026
作者巧妙摺疊七世紀、二十世紀與當代的歷史場景，讓讀者赫然察覺，這片被視為佛光普照的高原，從未真正平靜。從文化移植、文革衝擊，到現代造林政策與生態變遷，藏人的生活與天性歷經多次劫難，猶如蜉蝣般脆弱。
小說的時代背景設定極具深意，跨越唐代文成公主入藏的傳說時代、二十世紀中葉的劇烈政治動盪，直至二十一世紀初的當代中國。
作者並未直接指涉敏感政治事件，而是透過生態與人文的細微變化，隱喻高原在國家現代化進程中的命運轉折。然而，值得注意的是，小說融入藏戲《文成公主》的元素，對文成公主入藏過程與意義的呈現，顯然承襲了中華民族主義的敘事體系，將其視為漢藏交流的浪漫開端與文化融合的象徵。相較於歷史真實，與文成公主同時代的尼泊爾赤尊公主，才是帶來佛教文物、印度文化元素，並對藏傳佛教早期傳播與塑造貢獻更為關鍵的因素。兩位公主皆帶來佛像與法物，佛教從尼泊爾與漢地兩個方向同時传入，但中國主流敘事往往過度強調文成公主的角色，而淡化赤尊公主的貢獻。作者在此的處理，似有缺乏歷史比例感的傾向，反映了當代華語文學在處理藏族題材時，難以完全擺脫主流意識形態的影響。
七世紀的「文化移植」雖象徵交流的開端，卻也預示了後續的權力不對等；二十世紀的文革時期則帶來信仰與傳統的斷裂；當代則面對大規模基礎建設、退牧還林政策與旅遊開發，這些措施雖以環保與發展為名，卻往往忽略在地生態的複雜性與藏人傳統遊牧生活的根基。徐振輔以雪豹作為核心意象，象徵高原野生精神的孤獨與瀕危，同時折射出藏文化在強勢現代化浪潮下的邊緣化與失語。
徐振輔出身自然科學背景，卻展現深厚人文關懷，將生態細節、地理知識與哲思融為一體。書中對岩羊、鼠兔、雪豹等物種的描寫，生動而精準；對牧民生活與宗教信仰的刻畫，則帶有溫潤的同理。虛構與紀實的界線模糊，營造出夢幻般的氛圍，同時隱含對土地消亡的悼亡之情。這不僅是一部旅行小說，更是一場對烏托邦幻滅的深刻反思。
小說的時代背景設定極具深意，跨越唐代文成公主入藏的傳說時代、二十世紀中葉的劇烈政治動盪，直至二十一世紀初的當代中國。
作者並未直接指涉敏感政治事件，而是透過生態與人文的細微變化，隱喻高原在國家現代化進程中的命運轉折。然而，值得注意的是，小說融入藏戲《文成公主》的元素，對文成公主入藏過程與意義的呈現，顯然承襲了中華民族主義的敘事體系，將其視為漢藏交流的浪漫開端與文化融合的象徵。相較於歷史真實，與文成公主同時代的尼泊爾赤尊公主，才是帶來佛教文物、印度文化元素，並對藏傳佛教早期傳播與塑造貢獻更為關鍵的因素。兩位公主皆帶來佛像與法物，佛教從尼泊爾與漢地兩個方向同時传入，但中國主流敘事往往過度強調文成公主的角色，而淡化赤尊公主的貢獻。作者在此的處理，似有缺乏歷史比例感的傾向，反映了當代華語文學在處理藏族題材時，難以完全擺脫主流意識形態的影響。
七世紀的「文化移植」雖象徵交流的開端，卻也預示了後續的權力不對等；二十世紀的文革時期則帶來信仰與傳統的斷裂；當代則面對大規模基礎建設、退牧還林政策與旅遊開發，這些措施雖以環保與發展為名，卻往往忽略在地生態的複雜性與藏人傳統遊牧生活的根基。徐振輔以雪豹作為核心意象，象徵高原野生精神的孤獨與瀕危，同時折射出藏文化在強勢現代化浪潮下的邊緣化與失語。
徐振輔出身自然科學背景，卻展現深厚人文關懷，將生態細節、地理知識與哲思融為一體。書中對岩羊、鼠兔、雪豹等物種的描寫，生動而精準；對牧民生活與宗教信仰的刻畫，則帶有溫潤的同理。虛構與紀實的界線模糊，營造出夢幻般的氛圍，同時隱含對土地消亡的悼亡之情。這不僅是一部旅行小說，更是一場對烏托邦幻滅的深刻反思。
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.6/5 (rounded up to 3)
What's a story line to you? How much must a book follow a thread for it to be worthwhile?
What's a Snow Leopard to you is essentially a book about a guy looking to find a snow leopard for personal interests. The book meanders into Tibet's ecology, political history, culture and people, sometimes at random and without the main character as a focus. It makes for a confusing reading experience, one which feels pointless and thus really slow.
If it were not for its overall writing, I think it would be a pretty strong book, purely for its ending message and themes. I wonder if perhaps a lot is lost in its translation, since culture is pretty forefront in this story.
I actually was ready to rate this across the board pretty low but after really thinking about it I understand now why it went all the ways it did. The snow leopard is meant to both be important and irrelevant to the overall narrative (or at least is my interpretation)
What is it to us the status of the Snow Leopard, if not just confirmation of how much we have muddled with nature? Or is it that we want to feel better about how much destruction we've brought due to our own selfishness?
Why do we so badly want to see a creature known to be so elusive? Greed? Pride? Vanity? Or perhaps, all of the above?
Why can't the snow leopard live a life outside of our knowledge, and similarly, why are we forcing our way into its existence?
It's so painfully okay on first read through that I think for those that can, should read the novel in its original language. And I hope my interpretation of the book is aligned with the original message as well.
Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
What's a story line to you? How much must a book follow a thread for it to be worthwhile?
What's a Snow Leopard to you is essentially a book about a guy looking to find a snow leopard for personal interests. The book meanders into Tibet's ecology, political history, culture and people, sometimes at random and without the main character as a focus. It makes for a confusing reading experience, one which feels pointless and thus really slow.
If it were not for its overall writing, I think it would be a pretty strong book, purely for its ending message and themes. I wonder if perhaps a lot is lost in its translation, since culture is pretty forefront in this story.
I actually was ready to rate this across the board pretty low but after really thinking about it I understand now why it went all the ways it did. The snow leopard is meant to both be important and irrelevant to the overall narrative (or at least is my interpretation)
What is it to us the status of the Snow Leopard, if not just confirmation of how much we have muddled with nature? Or is it that we want to feel better about how much destruction we've brought due to our own selfishness?
Why do we so badly want to see a creature known to be so elusive? Greed? Pride? Vanity? Or perhaps, all of the above?
Why can't the snow leopard live a life outside of our knowledge, and similarly, why are we forcing our way into its existence?
It's so painfully okay on first read through that I think for those that can, should read the novel in its original language. And I hope my interpretation of the book is aligned with the original message as well.
Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
August 26, 2024
對西藏的政治宗教地理生態都陌生，共感或參透書中事件意義的能力有限，但讀的過程看什麼都覺得「哇」，也非常有趣。
May 20, 2025
Gdzieś uciekła mi puenta.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is hard to categorize, as the author states in the Acknowledgments, it's part travelogue, part essay, part fact, and part fiction. It apparently grew out of a Master's thesis (wow!). Whatever genre it is, it left me feeling that I too had just returned from a visit to Tibet after reading it. The author, who is in his early-30s now, meaning he was in his twenties when he wrote this book, is a highly skilled writer, and so are the translators.
I learned a lot about Tibetan history - human, religious and natural - and modern Tibetan society from this book, yet it never felt pedantic. The (fictional, I believe) journal of a Japanese monk in Tibet in the 1960s gives a taste of the oppression of the Tibetan people by the Chinese government. The imagery of the Tibetan opera (Ache Lhamo) performer singing for the Chinese propaganda documentary filmmakers was very powerful, as was the Tibetans changing their wall portraits back and forth from Chairman Mao in the daytime (if the Chinese came through) to the Dalai Lama at night, to pray to. I also learned about pika and erosion, sheep herding in the Himalayas, mining exploitation, sacred mountains, Buddhism, Bon (the more ancient religion), and many other topics, including - of course - the elusive snow leopard.
The middle was a bit slow, but I encourage readers to keep going, because I felt that the last third was the strongest writing.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys creative non-fiction, travelogues, and geography.
Favorite quotes:
"I thought of the ancient time before Buddhism arrived, when the animistic Bon religion was the belief of the Plateau. Shamans of those days must have known the language of' the earth in order to solve the many issues in people's lives. Later, when the people learned of different knowledge systems that could control everything in Nature, they stopped listening to arcane, incomprehensible instructions. But now, they've started to miss the language of the lakes, rocks, and trees, so geologists have become the new shamans, the listeners of Nature. I don't know which are more proficient, the scientists or the shamans, but they are both retelling what Nature has told them."
"Travel seems to have made up for this emotional lack. You go to live somewhere and let your body reconnect with the land until meaningful and dense layers of images are amassed in a neatly laid-out space on a map. Personally, the grassland before me was decidedly unlike any other grassland in the world and, someday later, when I hear about it at a remove, a subtle but complex emotion will rise up in me. When it dies one day, I will be saddened. Maybe this is what's called a sense of locality, a love of place, in humanist geography."
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC.
I learned a lot about Tibetan history - human, religious and natural - and modern Tibetan society from this book, yet it never felt pedantic. The (fictional, I believe) journal of a Japanese monk in Tibet in the 1960s gives a taste of the oppression of the Tibetan people by the Chinese government. The imagery of the Tibetan opera (Ache Lhamo) performer singing for the Chinese propaganda documentary filmmakers was very powerful, as was the Tibetans changing their wall portraits back and forth from Chairman Mao in the daytime (if the Chinese came through) to the Dalai Lama at night, to pray to. I also learned about pika and erosion, sheep herding in the Himalayas, mining exploitation, sacred mountains, Buddhism, Bon (the more ancient religion), and many other topics, including - of course - the elusive snow leopard.
The middle was a bit slow, but I encourage readers to keep going, because I felt that the last third was the strongest writing.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys creative non-fiction, travelogues, and geography.
Favorite quotes:
"I thought of the ancient time before Buddhism arrived, when the animistic Bon religion was the belief of the Plateau. Shamans of those days must have known the language of' the earth in order to solve the many issues in people's lives. Later, when the people learned of different knowledge systems that could control everything in Nature, they stopped listening to arcane, incomprehensible instructions. But now, they've started to miss the language of the lakes, rocks, and trees, so geologists have become the new shamans, the listeners of Nature. I don't know which are more proficient, the scientists or the shamans, but they are both retelling what Nature has told them."
"Travel seems to have made up for this emotional lack. You go to live somewhere and let your body reconnect with the land until meaningful and dense layers of images are amassed in a neatly laid-out space on a map. Personally, the grassland before me was decidedly unlike any other grassland in the world and, someday later, when I hear about it at a remove, a subtle but complex emotion will rise up in me. When it dies one day, I will be saddened. Maybe this is what's called a sense of locality, a love of place, in humanist geography."
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC.
September 25, 2026
I received an advanced reader’s copy of Chen-Fu Hsu’s Taiwanese novel “What's a Snow Leopard to You?” translated into English. struggled to read it and ultimately gave up after getting about twenty five percent of the way through. Although it won the Taiwan Literature Award for novels in 2021, to me it read more like a scholarly tome, and a confusing, disjointed, and uninteresting one to boot. It was difficult for me to discern any type of plot, and there were no characters with whom to connect. There is a lot of history, but it’s not related in any logical way that I could discern. I found the book too boring and dense to continue.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to netgalley and Arcade for an arc of this amazing novel!!
What’s a snow leopard to you? by Chen-Fu Shu is a beautiful combination of travelogue, fiction and cultural musings taking place in the innermost of Tibet.
It is beautiful, reflective story that makes you stop and think about yourself, those around you, and life itself. It refuses to genre conform and takes you on the journey with you, and you see every landmark, and meet every person and experience the story as if you are the narrator.
Will highly recommend for the adventurous, reflective, and curious souls, and everyone else who are looking for something different and simply beautiful.
What’s a snow leopard to you? by Chen-Fu Shu is a beautiful combination of travelogue, fiction and cultural musings taking place in the innermost of Tibet.
It is beautiful, reflective story that makes you stop and think about yourself, those around you, and life itself. It refuses to genre conform and takes you on the journey with you, and you see every landmark, and meet every person and experience the story as if you are the narrator.
Will highly recommend for the adventurous, reflective, and curious souls, and everyone else who are looking for something different and simply beautiful.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A strange novel. A mixture of cultural exploration, travel, natural history and a diary of a fictional Tibetan monk, with quite a lot of digressions. While the book brings out the difficulties and complexities faced by Tibetans, I am afraid this mix did not work for me.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
never let anyone tell you there are no original experiences left bc i started reading this on a whim in the donkey kong ride queue at epic universe and then it put me in a month and a half long reading slump 😀
October 20, 2026
我覺得喜歡吳明益的人就會喜歡馴羊記欸
July 19, 2026
一本完美的散文集。
June 30, 2026
內文涵蓋地理、歷史、生物、宗教學等領域，作者飽讀詩書，在這本作品中附上了大量的文學考據以及引用，有相當程度的深度，不屬於可以輕鬆閱讀的小說類型。
作者在追尋雪豹蹤影的過程中，經歷與藏人共同生活、深入藏傳佛教地域;同時也目睹中國政府政治手腕的力量，對西藏以及周邊地區進行文化、宗教清洗後所帶來的表象結果。這是一本讀來令人心痛心碎、綜合個人傳記、史料翻譯的創作小說，作者以深厚的文學、佛學底蘊，將一連串文化改革清洗下的失落、以及世代交替時，應當傳承卻不復存在的文化、各種絕望又令人失語的結果娓娓道來。
以下摘錄片段
----------------------------
馴羊記Ⅲ
有時一些「覺悟比較高」的人會被招收到漢地，用幾個月的時間培養成民族幹部，回來促進地方居民和共產黨合作。同時他們暗地裡吸收很多窮人和流氓，到縣城參加階級教育訓練班，幫助那些人「想起舊社會時被剝削欺壓的痛苦」，然後組織批鬥會，吐苦水，煽動對地主和僧人的仇恨，甚至鼓勵小孩揭發父母。被確認的敵人大多會面對同樣的命運——極盡羞辱和死亡，過程以多種你無法想像的方式進行，比對待牲口還不如。用漢話說，就是殊途同歸，只要完成從肉體上把敵人殲滅的目標就行。不過在軍方報告中，很大一部分人名義上都是自殺。
反烏托邦
二○○八年三月十日，中國正為了北京奧運戰戰兢兢的時刻，拉薩數百名僧眾打著宗教自由的口號進城集會，挑動中共最敏感的神經。三月十日對藏人深具意義，或許有些老人家仍記得四十九年前，數萬民眾如何包圍羅布林卡，阻止尊者前往軍區司令部觀看文藝演出。數日後槍砲如大雨清洗拉薩，十多萬人隨尊者逃往印度。
後來官方將三月定為敏感月，年復一年壓抑暗處湧動的火苗。二○○八年示威爆發時，群情激昂，焰火難息，縱使武警大行鎮壓，運動仍蔓延全藏，在青海、四川、甘肅、雲南遍地開花。數月後漸漸平息，死傷者難以計數，此後藏人就被冠上滋事分子的名號。
西藏究竟是個什麼地方，經歷過什麼，又往哪裡去？站在流亡政權的立場，過去美好樸實的神聖國度崩壞殆盡，漢人帶來傷害、箝制、痛苦、絕望；北京則強調共產黨解放舊西藏的封建農奴體制，為人民帶來現代、理性、尊嚴與財富，並年年宣稱拉薩是全中國最幸福的城市。這兩套截然不同的說法，一個是重返記憶，一個是顛覆過去。在政治擂臺上，他們編織自己的故事，競爭定義地方的權力。
作者在追尋雪豹蹤影的過程中，經歷與藏人共同生活、深入藏傳佛教地域;同時也目睹中國政府政治手腕的力量，對西藏以及周邊地區進行文化、宗教清洗後所帶來的表象結果。這是一本讀來令人心痛心碎、綜合個人傳記、史料翻譯的創作小說，作者以深厚的文學、佛學底蘊，將一連串文化改革清洗下的失落、以及世代交替時，應當傳承卻不復存在的文化、各種絕望又令人失語的結果娓娓道來。
以下摘錄片段
----------------------------
馴羊記Ⅲ
有時一些「覺悟比較高」的人會被招收到漢地，用幾個月的時間培養成民族幹部，回來促進地方居民和共產黨合作。同時他們暗地裡吸收很多窮人和流氓，到縣城參加階級教育訓練班，幫助那些人「想起舊社會時被剝削欺壓的痛苦」，然後組織批鬥會，吐苦水，煽動對地主和僧人的仇恨，甚至鼓勵小孩揭發父母。被確認的敵人大多會面對同樣的命運——極盡羞辱和死亡，過程以多種你無法想像的方式進行，比對待牲口還不如。用漢話說，就是殊途同歸，只要完成從肉體上把敵人殲滅的目標就行。不過在軍方報告中，很大一部分人名義上都是自殺。
反烏托邦
二○○八年三月十日，中國正為了北京奧運戰戰兢兢的時刻，拉薩數百名僧眾打著宗教自由的口號進城集會，挑動中共最敏感的神經。三月十日對藏人深具意義，或許有些老人家仍記得四十九年前，數萬民眾如何包圍羅布林卡，阻止尊者前往軍區司令部觀看文藝演出。數日後槍砲如大雨清洗拉薩，十多萬人隨尊者逃往印度。
後來官方將三月定為敏感月，年復一年壓抑暗處湧動的火苗。二○○八年示威爆發時，群情激昂，焰火難息，縱使武警大行鎮壓，運動仍蔓延全藏，在青海、四川、甘肅、雲南遍地開花。數月後漸漸平息，死傷者難以計數，此後藏人就被冠上滋事分子的名號。
西藏究竟是個什麼地方，經歷過什麼，又往哪裡去？站在流亡政權的立場，過去美好樸實的神聖國度崩壞殆盡，漢人帶來傷害、箝制、痛苦、絕望；北京則強調共產黨解放舊西藏的封建農奴體制，為人民帶來現代、理性、尊嚴與財富，並年年宣稱拉薩是全中國最幸福的城市。這兩套截然不同的說法，一個是重返記憶，一個是顛覆過去。在政治擂臺上，他們編織自己的故事，競爭定義地方的權力。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2022
以年紀輕輕27歲之姿寫出如此鉅作真的是很了不起，初讀以為是寫自然生態的遊歷，實則是揭露中共對西藏從各層的滲透與摧殘，由宗教、文化一路到牧業、生態，書寫穿插著古今，行雲流水，佩服作者龐大的知識量與撰文的勇氣，文字不過度抒情，把評判留給讀他的書的人。
不過我一直在煩惱要給4分還是5分，最終扣了一顆星是認為這本書文學形式已經從小說僭越到散文，或者不像文學體而像是知識書籍，運用第一人稱的透明主角更容易虛實不分，《馴羊記》到後半段的文字越來越難讀，徐沒有將他從文獻中獲得資訊成功轉化爲故事，純粹在提供資訊，偶爾還引用某幾本書籍或研究報告的內容插入其中，不免給人一種知識份子的賣弄，現代旅人的遊歷與前代僧人的記憶似乎亦不是結合得很完美，對於對西藏毫無了解的一般讀者來說，再豐厚的資訊也如同吞石頭，不可能消化，最終讀得彷彿是意境（也不錯就是）。
雖說如此，還是很感謝徐寫了這麼樣的一本書，提供寶貴的資訊，他會選擇這樣寫應該也是有他的道理，只是我個人比較愛看故事，不喜歡未經轉換的知識罷了，相較下依舊喜歡像吳明益老師的《單車失竊記》，可以知道吳明益做了很多工作、爬梳許多文獻，但卻可以不露痕跡的寫成動人的故事，相對平易近人。不過徐不簡單，相信他的寫作生涯前途無量，其實《馴羊記》質量超高，值5分也行。
不過我一直在煩惱要給4分還是5分，最終扣了一顆星是認為這本書文學形式已經從小說僭越到散文，或者不像文學體而像是知識書籍，運用第一人稱的透明主角更容易虛實不分，《馴羊記》到後半段的文字越來越難讀，徐沒有將他從文獻中獲得資訊成功轉化爲故事，純粹在提供資訊，偶爾還引用某幾本書籍或研究報告的內容插入其中，不免給人一種知識份子的賣弄，現代旅人的遊歷與前代僧人的記憶似乎亦不是結合得很完美，對於對西藏毫無了解的一般讀者來說，再豐厚的資訊也如同吞石頭，不可能消化，最終讀得彷彿是意境（也不錯就是）。
雖說如此，還是很感謝徐寫了這麼樣的一本書，提供寶貴的資訊，他會選擇這樣寫應該也是有他的道理，只是我個人比較愛看故事，不喜歡未經轉換的知識罷了，相較下依舊喜歡像吳明益老師的《單車失竊記》，可以知道吳明益做了很多工作、爬梳許多文獻，但卻可以不露痕跡的寫成動人的故事，相對平易近人。不過徐不簡單，相信他的寫作生涯前途無量，其實《馴羊記》質量超高，值5分也行。
June 29, 2021
回顧當年官媒的報導：「這次事件是達賴集團有組織、有預謀、精心策畫的暴亂。」說詞和現今香港並無二致 - 暴民打砸搶燒、港警英勇負傷、美國陰謀策反等消息，前些日子同樣佔據中國各大網站的熱搜頭條。一套劇本反覆上演，駕輕就熟。他們不光對外宣傳，更重要的是對內維穩，當國家權力受到兢爭與質疑，消弭烏托邦的非分之想就成為第一要務，其餘責任皆次之。
誠言一套劇本反覆上演，居然仍然成功，只怪香港人不讀歷史，不了解共產黨！希望經歷這十年，我們還有機會！楚雖三戶，亡秦必楚！
誠言一套劇本反覆上演，居然仍然成功，只怪香港人不讀歷史，不了解共產黨！希望經歷這十年，我們還有機會！楚雖三戶，亡秦必楚！
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October 31, 2021真是了不起的首部長篇小說。
以前讀作者在臉書上的文字時常覺得帶有一種節制和剛好，對自然科學等專業知識之描述節制使其不過於無趣，又有剛好的抒情，很喜歡。小說像一篇篇散文的結合，自身經驗加上虛構情節，包含多種領域的知識，故事裡還有故事。可說是帶有自傳性的小說也是自然書寫，讀來享受又覺得驚喜，期待作者將來的作品。
以前讀作者在臉書上的文字時常覺得帶有一種節制和剛好，對自然科學等專業知識之描述節制使其不過於無趣，又有剛好的抒情，很喜歡。小說像一篇篇散文的結合，自身經驗加上虛構情節，包含多種領域的知識，故事裡還有故事。可說是帶有自傳性的小說也是自然書寫，讀來享受又覺得驚喜，期待作者將來的作品。
October 20, 2022
這本書夾雜著許多文體，既是作者本身赴藏的遊記，亦是古著馴羊記的譯註，更有聽來的殘缺故事中補足情節的虛構小說體裁。他們以出發尋找雪豹的身影為目的，交替著訴說西藏這片廣袤土地的故事。文革造成的文化失落、生態變遷、淘金與觀光湧入的人潮掏空高原意義上的地基。這本書寫生態，也寫現代生活與土地失去已久的連結。作者筆調優美想像力豐富，讀起前幾章便讓我讚嘆不已。
April 13, 2023
很喜歡～文筆和劇情都很喜歡💞但是搞得太複雜了，劇情場景（？）設置的太複雜了，什麼都想來一點，變得什麼都只有一點點。
August 3, 2023
既有非虛構的敘事，又有部分是虛構小說，徐振輔作為自然科學出身的作者，帶來了其他作家難以企及的科學細節，而這樣的細節又有他後續進入地理學的跨領域學識，非常精彩。在中國豆瓣上已被404之際，又聽到已賣出德國版權，為作者感到開心。
February 15, 2025
在章節安排上、真的好精妙。
圖書館借到電子書讀不知道有多厚 感覺讀了很久才只到一半，但那個很久的感覺還包括章節好像非線性中有序展開的效果，噢，跟我讀了一年半都還在默默品味的看不見的城市體感有得拼，老實說，我覺得兩者好像有那麼點相似味道，是因為馬可波羅也行經圖博嗎
圖書館借到電子書讀不知道有多厚 感覺讀了很久才只到一半，但那個很久的感覺還包括章節好像非線性中有序展開的效果，噢，跟我讀了一年半都還在默默品味的看不見的城市體感有得拼，老實說，我覺得兩者好像有那麼點相似味道，是因為馬可波羅也行經圖博嗎
October 19, 2025
夢境裡的樸素風景，喝酒那段很cringe。
January 26, 2026
Hard to define this book is fiction or non fiction. But I am sure this book is my favourite Taiwanese book in 5 years.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews