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Orphan of Asia
Born in Japanese-occupied Taiwan, raised in the scholarly traditions of ancient China by his grandfather but forced into the Japanese educational system, Hu Taiming, the protagonist of Orphan of Asia, ultimately finds himself estranged from all three cultures.
Wu's autobiographical novel, completed in 1945, is widely regarded as a classic of modern Asian literature and a groundbreaking expression of the postwar Taiwanese national consciousness. Originally written in Japanese and now translated into English for the first time, Orphan of Asia offers a powerful depiction of the political, cultural, and psychological impact of colonialism.
Orphan of Asia begins during Taiming's childhood in Taiwan, which has been annexed to Japan only recently. Taiming eventually makes his mark in the colonial Japanese educational system and graduates from a prestigious college. However, he finds that his Japanese education and his adoption of modern ways have alienated him from his family and native village. He becomes a teacher in the Japanese colonial system but soon realizes that there is something seriously wrong with the status quo. He quits his post but finds that, having repudiated his roots, he doesn't seem to belong anywhere. Thus begins Taiming's long journey for his rightful place. But neither in Japan, where he goes to study physics in the belief that technology represents the future, nor in mainland China, where he marries and has a daughter, does he ever come to feel at home or find his calling.
Although he assiduously avoids politics, Taiming can't help being caught up in the conflicts that shaped modern East Asian history. He is accused of spying for both China and Japan after hostilities breakout between the two countries, and he witnesses the effects of Japanese imperial expansion, the horrors of war, and the sense of anger and powerlessness felt by those living under colonial rule.
Wu's autobiographical novel, completed in 1945, is widely regarded as a classic of modern Asian literature and a groundbreaking expression of the postwar Taiwanese national consciousness. Originally written in Japanese and now translated into English for the first time, Orphan of Asia offers a powerful depiction of the political, cultural, and psychological impact of colonialism.
Orphan of Asia begins during Taiming's childhood in Taiwan, which has been annexed to Japan only recently. Taiming eventually makes his mark in the colonial Japanese educational system and graduates from a prestigious college. However, he finds that his Japanese education and his adoption of modern ways have alienated him from his family and native village. He becomes a teacher in the Japanese colonial system but soon realizes that there is something seriously wrong with the status quo. He quits his post but finds that, having repudiated his roots, he doesn't seem to belong anywhere. Thus begins Taiming's long journey for his rightful place. But neither in Japan, where he goes to study physics in the belief that technology represents the future, nor in mainland China, where he marries and has a daughter, does he ever come to feel at home or find his calling.
Although he assiduously avoids politics, Taiming can't help being caught up in the conflicts that shaped modern East Asian history. He is accused of spying for both China and Japan after hostilities breakout between the two countries, and he witnesses the effects of Japanese imperial expansion, the horrors of war, and the sense of anger and powerlessness felt by those living under colonial rule.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1945
23 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
About the author
Wu Zhuoliu
4 books2 followersWu Chuo-liu (吳濁流) (1900–1976) was an influential Taiwanese journalist and novelist. His experiences during the colonial period, including fifteen months (January 1941-March 1942) spent in China, served as an inspiration for his most famous work, Orphan of Asia, a semi-autobiographical account of the experiences of a fictional protagonist—Hu Taiming—during the course of the colonial period. This work, which highlighted the ambiguity and tension inherent in being Taiwanese, has since become a key text in the contentious subject of Taiwanese identity. He is also known for his autobiography 無花果, translated by Duncan Hunter as The Fig Tree.
(from Wikipedia)
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 21, 2013
For a variety of reasons, fiction from colonial Taiwan (1895–1945) is not well known beyond scholars of Taiwanese literature, colonialism, or Japanese empire. Orphan of Asia is not a good book so much for its plot, but for Wu Zhuoliu's exploration of the psyche of a colonized Taiwanese man. There are many, often competing implications to be drawn about colonialism, nationality, gender, race, and a whole swath of other issues, which has led to Orphan of Asia gaining recognition as one of the most important books of colonial Taiwanese literature—in my opinion, deservedly so.
March 3, 2018
The protagonist, Hu Taiming, is educated so cross-culturally that he ceases to belong to any one culture. Every traditional activity, even a going-away party staged for him by his own family, seems stupid and indulgent to him. Furthermore, he feels at home nowhere and is suspected by everyone: Traveling between Taiwan, Japan, and Mainland China, he is regarded everywhere as an outsider, not to be trusted. If Hu's predicament weren't so sympathetic, and the writing not so good, the book would be an unmitigated turn-off. However, it is very well done and hard to put down.
February 20, 2024
While the plot unravels a bit at the end, I did enjoy this book. Hu Taiming might not be the most enthusiastic main character, but the portrayal of his life in the complex network of culturally rich, and changing, relationship is what kept me in the book.
While probably some (most, in case of poetry) of the context gets lost in the English translation, i appreciated the viewpoint on Taiwanese history. The title serves as main thesis as we see Taiming struggle with adjacent cultures that see Taiwanese people always as a "less than". The struggle of this time period is all the more tragic, if you have even a modicum of context on the sino-chinese wars and on Japanese imperialism.
Finally, sometimes Taiming is delightfully antiquated and terribly inept at living his life. While it can be frustrating, I alternated between chuckling and feeling sorry for him.
While probably some (most, in case of poetry) of the context gets lost in the English translation, i appreciated the viewpoint on Taiwanese history. The title serves as main thesis as we see Taiming struggle with adjacent cultures that see Taiwanese people always as a "less than". The struggle of this time period is all the more tragic, if you have even a modicum of context on the sino-chinese wars and on Japanese imperialism.
Finally, sometimes Taiming is delightfully antiquated and terribly inept at living his life. While it can be frustrating, I alternated between chuckling and feeling sorry for him.
May 13, 2019
Clunky, somewhat frustrating, but abnormally compelling novel. It has its share of issues but for those interested in the time and place, it's well worth reading.
November 19, 2025
kinda boring but relatable in a way.
February 10, 2021
Orphan of Asia doesn't stand out as a novel, but it still rings true as a universal cry for justice.
Orphan of Asia isn't a great literary work, the way, say, Achebe's African Trilogy is. True, one of the things that set Achebe apart was his subverting use of the colonizer's language, and Wu wrote in Japanese, the language of the empire that ruled over Taiwan at the time. But we can't judge him in this respect without the original, which is sadly not available in digital format. Mentzas's English translation seems adequate at the sentence level, and I'm not sure we can blame him for the often erratic pacing of the novel. Wu tells things he should show and shows things he should tell. During the first chapters, he sometimes abandons Taiming's story of initiation to launch into a family saga, as if he were writing The Dream of the Red Chamber or The Tale of Genji. At the same time, in the last third of the book Wu forgets to include key characters, whose fates are unknown for good plot reasons, in the thoughts of the protagonist despite repeatedly dipping into his mind. The fact that Orphan of Asia sometimes reads more like a pamphlet than a novel doesn't help either.
And yet there are memorable scenes, like when Taiming climbs up the Ladder to the Clouds with his grandfather in the opening pages or when he first sees Shuchun standing up on the train's seat to take her luggage from the rack:
"The spring sun was warm on Hu Taiming's back as he kept count of the stepping-stones that studded the backyard path to the little hill, up which his grandfather led him by the hand. The path ran through a small woods, and nameless little birds chirped and flitted from branch to branch around them. Taiming was short of breath and had lost count of the stones, and his grandfather was nowhere to be seen. Puffing, he caught up with the old man, who was waiting quietly for him at a level spot on the slope. (...)
The old man seemed ready for a smoke. He tied his bandanna back on, sat down on a rock, packed purple tobacco into his beloved long bamboo pipe and, after having Taiming light it for him, began, with relish, to make it hiss. The protracted hissing was familiar to Taiming. It carried him into a realm of curiously nostalgic feeling like the enticing prelude to the unraveling of a long tale."
"Two tiny indentations, left by her Shanghai shoes, remained where she had stood. So charmingly small were they that he forgave her lack of consideration, and his brain retained the imprints long after the velveteen surface had lost all trace of them."
Having lived in Taiwan at various times during a period of five years, I have a soft spot for the country. But even if you've never heard of the place, I think Orphan of Asia can, at times, transport you to the island's incredibly biodiverse landscapes and show you a glimpse of its hodgepodge of cultures, particularly the clash between Chinese and Japanese traditions. One minute the characters are reciting Li Bai and pondering the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and the next they're walking on tatami floors, wearing yukatas and drinking saké. Of course, Orphan of Asia is no touristic brochure: it tells harrowing tales of the Second Sino-Japanese War and colonial opression. It is, above all, the story of Taiming's identity crisis after traveling to Japan and mainland China only to be spurned by both nations and experiencing firsthand the horrors of war. And while Taiming is not as complex as Obi Okwonko from No Longer at Ease, Wu, like Achebe, portrays an array of attitudes around colonialism and shows the shortcomings of not only the colonizers but also the colonial subjects. In other words, it paints a human picture of a terrible time. Hopefully reading and taking these stories to heart can help, in a very small way, to prevent the cruelty and suffering they depict from being repeated in the future.
Orphan of Asia isn't a great literary work, the way, say, Achebe's African Trilogy is. True, one of the things that set Achebe apart was his subverting use of the colonizer's language, and Wu wrote in Japanese, the language of the empire that ruled over Taiwan at the time. But we can't judge him in this respect without the original, which is sadly not available in digital format. Mentzas's English translation seems adequate at the sentence level, and I'm not sure we can blame him for the often erratic pacing of the novel. Wu tells things he should show and shows things he should tell. During the first chapters, he sometimes abandons Taiming's story of initiation to launch into a family saga, as if he were writing The Dream of the Red Chamber or The Tale of Genji. At the same time, in the last third of the book Wu forgets to include key characters, whose fates are unknown for good plot reasons, in the thoughts of the protagonist despite repeatedly dipping into his mind. The fact that Orphan of Asia sometimes reads more like a pamphlet than a novel doesn't help either.
And yet there are memorable scenes, like when Taiming climbs up the Ladder to the Clouds with his grandfather in the opening pages or when he first sees Shuchun standing up on the train's seat to take her luggage from the rack:
"The spring sun was warm on Hu Taiming's back as he kept count of the stepping-stones that studded the backyard path to the little hill, up which his grandfather led him by the hand. The path ran through a small woods, and nameless little birds chirped and flitted from branch to branch around them. Taiming was short of breath and had lost count of the stones, and his grandfather was nowhere to be seen. Puffing, he caught up with the old man, who was waiting quietly for him at a level spot on the slope. (...)
The old man seemed ready for a smoke. He tied his bandanna back on, sat down on a rock, packed purple tobacco into his beloved long bamboo pipe and, after having Taiming light it for him, began, with relish, to make it hiss. The protracted hissing was familiar to Taiming. It carried him into a realm of curiously nostalgic feeling like the enticing prelude to the unraveling of a long tale."
"Two tiny indentations, left by her Shanghai shoes, remained where she had stood. So charmingly small were they that he forgave her lack of consideration, and his brain retained the imprints long after the velveteen surface had lost all trace of them."
Having lived in Taiwan at various times during a period of five years, I have a soft spot for the country. But even if you've never heard of the place, I think Orphan of Asia can, at times, transport you to the island's incredibly biodiverse landscapes and show you a glimpse of its hodgepodge of cultures, particularly the clash between Chinese and Japanese traditions. One minute the characters are reciting Li Bai and pondering the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and the next they're walking on tatami floors, wearing yukatas and drinking saké. Of course, Orphan of Asia is no touristic brochure: it tells harrowing tales of the Second Sino-Japanese War and colonial opression. It is, above all, the story of Taiming's identity crisis after traveling to Japan and mainland China only to be spurned by both nations and experiencing firsthand the horrors of war. And while Taiming is not as complex as Obi Okwonko from No Longer at Ease, Wu, like Achebe, portrays an array of attitudes around colonialism and shows the shortcomings of not only the colonizers but also the colonial subjects. In other words, it paints a human picture of a terrible time. Hopefully reading and taking these stories to heart can help, in a very small way, to prevent the cruelty and suffering they depict from being repeated in the future.
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August 18, 2021Sad, heavy, but symbolic! I had get tired because the chain tragedies of Tai Hui-ming, a Taiwanese intellectual who lived in Taiwan under Japan and Changkai Shek time. The historical background of Taiwan was a root of his tragedies. I liked the image of orphan used to describe Taiwan's condition. That make me feel pity on this country - a real country but the world has not accepted it, like a orphan. This novel also help me to understand Taiwan inwardly.
January 12, 2020
This book chronicles a Taiwanese intellectual's life under Japanese rule and his struggle to find an identity. It provides many insights and has high historic value. However, it is not a good novel. It reads more like a journal. There is not a single memorable scene in it.
August 30, 2023
The story of Hu Taiming, born shortly after the Japanese administration of Taiwan. His initial education was of the Chinese classics, as directed by his grandfather. But under the Japanese administration of Taiwan, this was insufficient. We follow Hu Taiming’s life from his early Chinese learning through near the end of the second world war, where Taiwan as a Japanese colony, helped (often by force) the Japanese war effort. These five chapters cover Taiming’s:
1. Early education, first in Chinese style, then in Japanese style, and his first job as a teacher in an elementary or middle school. He sees the discrimination of the Taiwanese by the Japanese.
2. Life in Japan, where he continues his studies, in physics, but learns that saying he is from Taiwan has consequences (e.g., people don’t want to associate with him). He returns to Taiwan, and decides to reunite with the “mother land,” China.
3. Experiences in China, where again he must suppress his identity as Taiwanese. He is a teacher (after he learns Mandrin) and also teaches Japanese. He marries, has a daughter, but his wife strives for a more liberal lifestyle. When it is determined he is from Japanese-administered Taiwan, he experiences the growing resentment of Japan by the Chinese (after annexation of Manchuria). He escapes thanks to his students.
4. Return to Taiwan, a place he hoped never to return to, he attempts to find a job. After succeeding, he realized that no matter how some Taiwanese try to become Japanese, the system is stacked against them. Never would Japan allow a Taiwanese to be a manager of Japanese.
5. Life when Japan enters the war with the United States. The Japanese and local government demanded more and more of the citizens. To paraphrase, “if you don’t support the war effort, you must be a traitor.” The book ends in 1944, before the war’s end. Taiming has lost his mind (or not).
This book expresses the sense of Taiwan’s being adrift. Not really a member of Japan, at best a second-class citizen, looked on as a traitor to Chinese, yet filled with competent people who much muddle through without identity.
The book gives a vivid portrait of how some Taiwanese felt under the Japanese rule and how many behaved.
The protagonist, Taiming, seems rigid, trying to stay “pure,” not feeling free to say what he feels. Like a piece of driftwood, he is carried along by forces larger than him. He acts without agency, most often dour.
Yet, the author’s description of the feelings and the time of Japanese occupation vividly capture a moment of Taiwan’s history under Japanese occupation, and what an intellectual might have felt.
This is the first of a trilogy by the author (who wrote other books as well):
• Orphan of Asia, originally published in Japanese
• Fig Tree, first serialized, published in 1970, and banned by the KMT, since it mentions the 228 incident.
• Taiwanese Forsythia (not yet translated into English)
These are said to be autobiographical.
FB: This is an important Taiwan literary work! Orphan of Asia vividly portrays life in Japanese-controlled colonial Taiwan. Though the protagonist Hu Taiming is often stuck in his ways, his experience, being neither Japanese nor Chinese, captures the title, and sets the stage for a unique identity!
For a podcast, see https://www.formosafiles.com/s2-e29-t...
See also https://english.hakka.gov.tw/Content/... for a brief discussion of Wu’s trilogy about Taiwan, and in part his life.
1. Early education, first in Chinese style, then in Japanese style, and his first job as a teacher in an elementary or middle school. He sees the discrimination of the Taiwanese by the Japanese.
2. Life in Japan, where he continues his studies, in physics, but learns that saying he is from Taiwan has consequences (e.g., people don’t want to associate with him). He returns to Taiwan, and decides to reunite with the “mother land,” China.
3. Experiences in China, where again he must suppress his identity as Taiwanese. He is a teacher (after he learns Mandrin) and also teaches Japanese. He marries, has a daughter, but his wife strives for a more liberal lifestyle. When it is determined he is from Japanese-administered Taiwan, he experiences the growing resentment of Japan by the Chinese (after annexation of Manchuria). He escapes thanks to his students.
4. Return to Taiwan, a place he hoped never to return to, he attempts to find a job. After succeeding, he realized that no matter how some Taiwanese try to become Japanese, the system is stacked against them. Never would Japan allow a Taiwanese to be a manager of Japanese.
5. Life when Japan enters the war with the United States. The Japanese and local government demanded more and more of the citizens. To paraphrase, “if you don’t support the war effort, you must be a traitor.” The book ends in 1944, before the war’s end. Taiming has lost his mind (or not).
This book expresses the sense of Taiwan’s being adrift. Not really a member of Japan, at best a second-class citizen, looked on as a traitor to Chinese, yet filled with competent people who much muddle through without identity.
The book gives a vivid portrait of how some Taiwanese felt under the Japanese rule and how many behaved.
The protagonist, Taiming, seems rigid, trying to stay “pure,” not feeling free to say what he feels. Like a piece of driftwood, he is carried along by forces larger than him. He acts without agency, most often dour.
Yet, the author’s description of the feelings and the time of Japanese occupation vividly capture a moment of Taiwan’s history under Japanese occupation, and what an intellectual might have felt.
This is the first of a trilogy by the author (who wrote other books as well):
• Orphan of Asia, originally published in Japanese
• Fig Tree, first serialized, published in 1970, and banned by the KMT, since it mentions the 228 incident.
• Taiwanese Forsythia (not yet translated into English)
These are said to be autobiographical.
FB: This is an important Taiwan literary work! Orphan of Asia vividly portrays life in Japanese-controlled colonial Taiwan. Though the protagonist Hu Taiming is often stuck in his ways, his experience, being neither Japanese nor Chinese, captures the title, and sets the stage for a unique identity!
For a podcast, see https://www.formosafiles.com/s2-e29-t...
See also https://english.hakka.gov.tw/Content/... for a brief discussion of Wu’s trilogy about Taiwan, and in part his life.
January 29, 2021
Incredibly significant read which provides necessary context into Japanese-colonized Taiwan's burgeoning role in global political affairs as a colonial state. The protagonist Hu Taiming represents a Taiwan trying to find its identity amongst Japan, China, and itself. I enjoyed Hu's personality flaws which reflected on issues that Taiwan needed to address (ie. misogyny) independent of colonization and the arc is fairly engaging. The drawback for me is that the style left me bored at times, where I looked forward to the book's events progressing but we spend so much time in Hu's head. I know this intimate look into his thought process is important for understanding his search for identity and the region's geopolitics, but I felt that his long thoughts overshadowed plot points that deserved more length and attention. Besides that, this book was eye-opening and I'm grateful for what I learned by reading it.
March 30, 2023
I've been looking for this novel ever since I listened to Taiwanese singer Lo Ta-Yu's song of the same name, which was the official theme song featured in the movie A Home Too Far.
The English translation has tried its best as it was translated from Japanese, from which it's not too well written, but from time to time it did manage to capture some of the cultural nuanced of the protagonist predominantly Taiwanese Hokkien speaking world view.
The fragmented nature of the story bordering insanity echos strongly to me with post-colonial writers like Frantz Fanon and Tash Aw. Torn between powers, questions of loyalty, heavy historical baggage, modernity being thrust upon and its overwhelming pressure of irrelevance. The difficulty to make sense of this chaos and barely putting it together into something readable.
The ending of the story is similar to Tash Aw's Strangers on a Pier: Portrait of a Family. Similar tragic end of different Chinese diaspora in different land.
The English translation has tried its best as it was translated from Japanese, from which it's not too well written, but from time to time it did manage to capture some of the cultural nuanced of the protagonist predominantly Taiwanese Hokkien speaking world view.
The fragmented nature of the story bordering insanity echos strongly to me with post-colonial writers like Frantz Fanon and Tash Aw. Torn between powers, questions of loyalty, heavy historical baggage, modernity being thrust upon and its overwhelming pressure of irrelevance. The difficulty to make sense of this chaos and barely putting it together into something readable.
The ending of the story is similar to Tash Aw's Strangers on a Pier: Portrait of a Family. Similar tragic end of different Chinese diaspora in different land.
November 17, 2022
Un romanzo classico della letteratura taiwanese che descrive attraverso l'esperienza di Hu Tai-Ming l'incertezza identitaria degli abitanti di Taiwan durante i diversi periodi storici. Infatti, il protagonista cresce con un'istruzione ed educazione classica cinese (scuole confuciane), per poi cambiare ed entrare nel sistema di istruzione giapponese che era segregato e divideva quindi tra giapponesi e taiwanesi. Per tutta la vita, poi, Tai-Ming si sentirà estraneo alla cultura giapponese e anche quella cinese non riuscendo a trovare il suo posto nel mondo, e per questo, rappresenta proprio la posizione sociale, economica, e culturale del Taiwan nel mondo. Romanzo ancora attuale e fondamentale per esplorare la complessità del Taiwan.
*traduttore Ioannis Menzas
*originariamente scritto in lingua giapponese (anni 30' Taiwan sotto il dominio giapponese)
*traduttore Ioannis Menzas
*originariamente scritto in lingua giapponese (anni 30' Taiwan sotto il dominio giapponese)
September 23, 2025
I was forced to read this for school, and unfortunately, I did not like it. The main protagonist annoyed me. The female characters were flat. The last two chapters did not hold my interest, and I found the conclusion unsatisfying. However, from the classmate presentation and class discussion, I understand what the author was trying to do, especially since it comes off as semi-autobiographical. From the lecture, I learned that many key portions were omitted in the English translation compared to the Chinese version. Keep in mind, the Japanese version is the original. I listened to two podcasts that reviewed and discussed this book. Thus, I feel that I have a strong understanding. I understand the author's place in Taiwanese literature. Yet, I was not entertained. Regardless, I actually only took two days to read this, so it was a quick and, I guess, easy read. Kindly, 3/5.
June 18, 2021
A great story to get a glimpse of the Taiwanese history. The whole plot is a metaphor for the Taiwanese nation trying to find identity, told through the story of a Taiwanese boy trying to find his place in life.
However, the language and literary quality of the book leaves much to be desired. Partially this might be attributed to the translation and editing quality (the story was originally written in Japanese; I read it in English), but partially it has to do with the quality of the writing itself. Many characters and their actions are pictured in a black or white manner, lacking the true colors of real life.
However, the language and literary quality of the book leaves much to be desired. Partially this might be attributed to the translation and editing quality (the story was originally written in Japanese; I read it in English), but partially it has to do with the quality of the writing itself. Many characters and their actions are pictured in a black or white manner, lacking the true colors of real life.
July 15, 2022
Orphan of Asia is a seminal work, on par with works like Grapes of Wrath, Great Expectations, and the like. It is a demanding read as it challenges so many of our own thoughts on collectivism, and what it means to be part of a community. But most importantly it is a historical-fiction. The Author Wu Zhouliu lived this life. While certain elements are a heightened or brought in from other individuals lives, Orphan of Asia at its heart at its soul is a true.
It is not enough to simply say it is an allegory for the people of Taiwan, because then that waters down what this story and the Zhuoliu went through.
It is not enough to simply say it is an allegory for the people of Taiwan, because then that waters down what this story and the Zhuoliu went through.
February 28, 2022
重听罗大佑，为了理解《亚细亚的孤儿》来看小说。看之前不知道原来这本小说是用日语写就；也才突然顿悟“亚细亚”是 “Asia”译名的一种。
小说以日占台湾的一部分史实作为背景，记录了胡太明的一生。作者原话说“是被扭曲历史下的牺牲者”，他追求精神上的寄托，离开不能满足其志向的故乡求学日本，因工作机缘巧合来到大陆，并且娶妻生女，却因为时局动荡被迫逃离大陆回到故乡。他的一生不断在追寻理想但不断接受打击，最终面对战争夺去“被迫”志愿参军的同父异母弟弟的生命这最后一根稻草时，突然发疯。小说描写台湾尴尬的处境，有人还在学习孔孟，憧憬着光耀古代，有人竭尽全力成为合格的日本公民；政治上台湾面临台湾要塞向台湾战场的转变，一心向着日本的人并不能意识到日本其实把台湾人当做战场上的消耗品……所以才有了罗大佑歌里“黄色的脸孔有红色的污泥黑色的眼珠有白色的恐惧”。但除了小说的主旨，就其文学性和写作手法，几乎没有什么可读性，也是给出三星的原因。小说中把大陆所操的语言称为“北京话”——普通话本话。
小说以日占台湾的一部分史实作为背景，记录了胡太明的一生。作者原话说“是被扭曲历史下的牺牲者”，他追求精神上的寄托，离开不能满足其志向的故乡求学日本，因工作机缘巧合来到大陆，并且娶妻生女，却因为时局动荡被迫逃离大陆回到故乡。他的一生不断在追寻理想但不断接受打击，最终面对战争夺去“被迫”志愿参军的同父异母弟弟的生命这最后一根稻草时，突然发疯。小说描写台湾尴尬的处境，有人还在学习孔孟，憧憬着光耀古代，有人竭尽全力成为合格的日本公民；政治上台湾面临台湾要塞向台湾战场的转变，一心向着日本的人并不能意识到日本其实把台湾人当做战场上的消耗品……所以才有了罗大佑歌里“黄色的脸孔有红色的污泥黑色的眼珠有白色的恐惧”。但除了小说的主旨，就其文学性和写作手法，几乎没有什么可读性，也是给出三星的原因。小说中把大陆所操的语言称为“北京话”——普通话本话。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2022
I get that this is in part allegorical but sections were painful to read - lots of melodrama, lots of people suddenly and inexplicably convinced to change their mind by one paragraph of logical oration from the protagonist, lots of the protagonist reacting to similar situations the exact same way. The big picture of the plot was compelling, as was the connection to history, but the individual scenes were not great.
May 19, 2024
I liked the second half of the book when Taiming had real character development, but he's not a great protagonist at first. He judges everyone around him, but does things worse than a lot of people - he's a coward and never speaks up what he really thinks. I loved the ending tho, never expected it
December 16, 2018
A pleasant read but a tragic tale told mostly in third person about an idealistic individual trapped between two cultures in a world being drawn into the chaoitic vortex of WW II in Asia.
March 1, 2023
Engels taalgebruik is met veel ouderwetse woorden, inhoud is wat triestig.
October 14, 2024
3.75 Fascinating Taiwanese novel that tries to depict what Taiwanese identity looked like under Japanese colonialism.
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March 8, 2025前面太厌女了。后面没有女的。
November 6, 2025
wanted to like it but i didn’t. the protagonist is just so passive… & weird. idk even allegorically/metaphorically it didn’t really speak to me.
August 29, 2010
This is the novel that Leo Ching analyzes in his "Becoming Japanese." If I have to pick a book that I recommend to non-academic readers who want to know about Japanese colonial rule, this is the one. He depicts many kinds of people that are way too diverse to categorize, although, the author's hatred towards those Taiwanese who curry favor with the Japanese belittled their active thinking and agency. I read this after watching the controversial 2009 NHK specials, which argued that the colonization of Taiwan was Japan's first attempt to become a modern global power. Right-wingers reacted to this documentary harshly by saying that Taiwanese loved Japanese. It is ironic that right-wingers are the ones who could understand the feeling of "humiliation" the best yet they are also the ones who completely ignore it. I hope this novel will be reprinted and read by people more widely.
January 31, 2015
This book built very slowly for me and I had trouble understanding the main character Hu Taiming for quite a while. By the last third I was completely empathizing with him and the situations swirling around him and I dreaded ending the book because it became clear how it would end for him. I wonder how fictional this story really is? I feel as if Hu Taiming is meant to stand as a metaphor for all of Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era.
I recommend this to anyone interested in the period, Taiwan, Japan's imperialism in Asia and ww2 and colonialism more broadly!
I recommend this to anyone interested in the period, Taiwan, Japan's imperialism in Asia and ww2 and colonialism more broadly!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2016
As others have pointed out, the book's merits are perhaps more in its historically and culturally significant depiction of identity than in its prose. It is an important document in understanding the difficult issues of national and cultural identity in Taiwan, a society that has been balancing between the competing influences of China and Japan. The English translation is of high quality throughout, making it enjoyable to read.
November 18, 2009
my rating refers to the translation. it's serviceable and it reads well, but sometimes the english really tripped me up (especially with the poems).
side note: interesting and also kind of funny (as in funny-haha) that this book would be billed as "modern chinese literature from taiwan." you could contest like almost every word in that sentence!
side note: interesting and also kind of funny (as in funny-haha) that this book would be billed as "modern chinese literature from taiwan." you could contest like almost every word in that sentence!
October 26, 2008
Finished this awhile ago. There might be a review in the offing, but maybe not.
If you want to know about Taiwan, particularly her history and culture through the past 75 years or so, I recommend this novel.
If you want to know about Taiwan, particularly her history and culture through the past 75 years or so, I recommend this novel.
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