The Late Poems of Wang An-Shih

By Nathalie Sarraute

Book Overview

Wang An-shih (1021-1086 C.E.) was a remarkable figure--not only one of the great Sung Dynasty poets, but also the most influential and controversial statesman of his time. Although Wang had little interest in the grandeur of high office and political power, he took the responsibility of serving the people seriously. He rose to become prime minister, and in this position he instituted a controversial system of radically egalitarian social reforms to improve the lives of China's peasants. Once those reforms were securely in place, Wang retired to a reclusive life of artistic and spiritual self-cultivation. It was after his retirement, practicing Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism and wandering the mountains around his home, that Wang An-shih wrote the poems that made his reputation. Short and plainspoken, these late poems contain profound multitudes-the passing of time, rivers and mountains, silence and Buddhist emptiness. They won him wide acclaim in China and beyond across the centuries. And in Hinton's breathtaking translations, Wang feels like a major contemporary poet with deep ecological insight and a questioning spirit.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811222632
• ISBN13: 9780811222631
• Release Date: March 2015
• Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.9" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

her best book

For anyone who loves language and literature, this book is a must. In Tropisms, Sarraute succeeded in creating a work that is inspiring, heartbreaking, and so full of life that it still seems fresh and new. A must for any would-be writer--this is what great use of language is all about.

The start of greater things

Tropisms are, as the author says, movements of the mind... movements most of us are not aware of, even though they are insepperable from human existance. This book is an attempt to express on paper what these tropisms look like, in short episodes of no more that two or three pages.For people interested in new forms of expression or thinking about writing, this may be a place to start. For those who want to read something unlike most of the stories they encounter from day to day, this will be it.

Tropisms-- the ingredients of character

A fascinating book for any writer or student of language. Tropisms doesn't tell a story so much as paint a scene and/or communicate feeling. Sarraute's language --originally written in the late 1930's-- for the most part still feels modern and fresh, in part due to her unconventional and brave writing style. Tropisms is a thin book I carry with me in my daytime planner and read over and over again. Sarraute's ability to clearly describe the most mundane actions and feelings is an excellent training ground for writers. I learn something new about words, language, and humanity every time I open this book.