Author Biography | Interview | Books by this Author | Readalikes
Novelist and playwright Gao Xingjian is the first Chinese recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born January 4th, 1940. He has lived in France since 1987. In 1980 Gao became a screenwriter for the Beijing People's Art Theatre. His novel Soul Mountain was inspired by his 10-month trek along the Yangtze River.
This bio was last updated on 01/10/2016. We try to keep BookBrowse's biographies both up to date and accurate, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's a tough task. So, please help us - if the information about this author is out of date or inaccurate, and you know of a more complete source, please let us know. Authors and publishers: If you wish to make changes to a bio, send the complete biography as you would like it displayed so that we can replace the old with the new.
Gao Xingjian was awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize for Literature "for an œuvre
of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has
opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama." The following
is an excerpt from his acceptance speech.
Language is not merely concepts and the carrier of concepts, it
simultaneously activates the feelings and the senses and this is why signs and
signals cannot replace the language of living people. The will, motives, tone
and emotions behind what someone says cannot be fully expressed by semantics and
rhetoric alone. The connotations of the language of literature must be voiced,
spoken by living people, to be fully expressed. So as well as serving as a
carrier of thought literature must also appeal to the auditory senses. The human
need for language is not simply for the transmission of meaning, it is at the
same time listening to and affirming a person's existence.
Borrowing from Descartes, it could be said of the writer: I say and therefore I
am. However, the I of the writer can be the writer himself, can be equated to
the narrator, or become the characters of a work. As the narrator-subject can
also be he and you, it is tripartite. The...
John Dalton is the author of the novel, Heaven Lake, which won the Barnes and Noble 2004 Discover Award in fiction. It was also awarded the Sue Kaufman Prize for best first fiction of 2004 from the American Academy of Arts ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
Soul Mountain
Try:
Heaven Lake
by John Dalton
Annie Dillard has written several books, including the memoir of her parents, An American Childhood; the Northwest pioneer epic The Living; and the nonfiction narrative Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. A gregarious recluse, she is a ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
Soul Mountain
Try:
The Maytrees
by Annie Dillard
We recommend 8 similar authors
Become a Member and discover books that entertain, engage & enlighten.
The Widow Queen
by Elzbieta Cherezinska
The epic story of an 11th century Polish queen whose life and name were all but forgotten until now.
Reader Reviews
Of Women and Salt
by Gabriela Garcia
A kaleidoscopic portrait of generations of women from a 19th-century Cuban cigar factory to the present day.
Reader Reviews
Use what talents you possess: The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
