Soul mountain
Encyclopedia
Soul Mountain is a novel by the Chinese writer Gao Xingjian
. It was first published in Chinese in Taipei in 1990. The novel is loosely based on the author's journey in rural China
, which was inspired by a false diagnosis of lung cancer. The novel is a part autobiographical, part fictional account of a man's journey to find the fabled mountain Lingshan. It is a combination of story fragments, travel accounts, unnamed characters (referred to by the pronouns "I", "you", "she", etc.), and folk poetry/legends. An English version translated by Mabel Lee
was published in the United States on December 5, 2000.
one "wearing strong sensible sports shoes and a backpack with shoulder straps". He seeks out the elusive Lingshan, a sacred mountain.
"You" has long lived in the city, but yearns for a rural existence from the past He shuns the idea of settling for "a peaceful and stable existence" where one wants to "find a not-too-demanding sort of a job, stay in a mediocre position, become a husband and a father, set up a comfortable home, put money in the bank and add to it every month so there'll be something for old age and a little left over for the next generation".
"You" meets up with another wanderer, a troubled and emotional "She". And so "You"'s journey also becomes a journey into an erotic relationship. "You" also travels inwards as he explores his powers as a storyteller. Later in "You"'s story, "She" departs "as if in a story, as if in a dream".
Meanwhile, "I" is a writer and academic who travels to Sichuan
after having been misdiagnosed of a terminal lung cancer. He wants to take a break and start looking for an "authentic life" -- meaning the opposite of that of the state's concept of real life.
The characters' sense of humanity is revealed during their quest. "I" realizes that he still craves the warmth of human society, despite its anxieties.
. It was during this time, in 1983, that the author was diagnosed with lung cancer during a regular health screening. With the memory of his father's death by the same cause just two years earlier still fresh in his memory, Xingjian resigned himself to death, which brought about a "transcendant tranquility". However, soon after this diagnosis, an x-ray revealed that his lung cancer was non-existent. At this time Xingjian heard rumors of plans to have him sent to the hellish prison farms of Qinghai province, and thus quickly made the decision to flee Beijing. This decision lead him to begin the journey that forms much of the autobiographical portion of the novel. The journey commences in the forests of Sichuan
province and continues along the Yangtze River
to the coast. The protagonist ostensively searches for Lingshan (Soul Mountain), but in fact the novel describes "one man's quest for inner peace and freedom" The journey, both in the author's life and in the narrative, include visits to the districts of Qiang
, Miao
and Yi
, located on the fringes of Han Chinese
civilization; excursions into several nature reserves; and stops at Buddhist and Daoist institutions.
in 1976. Additionally, traditional Chinese culture promotes the Confucian ideology of dissolution of the self and promotion of subservience and conformity.. The combination of traditional conformity and the "self-sacrificing" ideology of the Chinese Communist Revolution
effectively silenced artists and writers who depended on their creativity of self-expression. Thus, under these circumstances, Gao Xingjian
left his native country to finish Soul Mountain in 1989 in Paris, publishing it the following year in Taipei. Mabel Lee
describes the novel as "a literary response to the devastation of the self".
, Taiwan
by Lianjing Chubanshe (聯經出版社, Linking Publishing Company) in 1990. It was then published first in Swedish
1992 by Göran Malmqvist
, member of the Swedish Academy
and close friend of the author; in 1995 it was translated into French
by Liliane and Noël Dutrait by the title of La Montagne de l'âme . In 2000 it was published, with an English translation by Mabel Lee
, by Flamingo/HarperCollins in Australia
.
The Times continues: "A novel in theory, Soul Mountain is more nearly a collection of the musings, memories and poetic, sometimes mystical fantasies of a gifted, angry writer."
Publisher's Weekly called it Gao's "largest and perhaps most personal work."
The Yale Review of Books wrote: "Blazing a new trail for the Chinese novel, Gao Xinjian’s Soul Mountain combines autobiography, the supernatural, and social commentary."
The entry on the novel in Enotes
notes: "While many critics have found Gao's inventive storytelling techniques to be the novel's most remarkable feature, others have found the novel to be overly self-indulgent and alienating to the reader."
Gao Xingjian
Gao Xingjian is a Chinese-born novelist, playwright, critic, and painter. An émigré to France since 1987, Gao was granted French citizenship in 1997...
. It was first published in Chinese in Taipei in 1990. The novel is loosely based on the author's journey in rural China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, which was inspired by a false diagnosis of lung cancer. The novel is a part autobiographical, part fictional account of a man's journey to find the fabled mountain Lingshan. It is a combination of story fragments, travel accounts, unnamed characters (referred to by the pronouns "I", "you", "she", etc.), and folk poetry/legends. An English version translated by Mabel Lee
Mabel Lee
Mabel Lee is a translator of the works of Nobel Prize-winning author Gao Xingjian. She has taught Asian studies at the University of Sydney and is one of Australia's leading authorities on Chinese cultural affairs...
was published in the United States on December 5, 2000.
Plot
The first of the two characters to be introduced is "You". He is described as a local tourist---"not that sort of tourist" but a backpackingBackpacking (travel)
Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used...
one "wearing strong sensible sports shoes and a backpack with shoulder straps". He seeks out the elusive Lingshan, a sacred mountain.
"You" has long lived in the city, but yearns for a rural existence from the past He shuns the idea of settling for "a peaceful and stable existence" where one wants to "find a not-too-demanding sort of a job, stay in a mediocre position, become a husband and a father, set up a comfortable home, put money in the bank and add to it every month so there'll be something for old age and a little left over for the next generation".
"You" meets up with another wanderer, a troubled and emotional "She". And so "You"'s journey also becomes a journey into an erotic relationship. "You" also travels inwards as he explores his powers as a storyteller. Later in "You"'s story, "She" departs "as if in a story, as if in a dream".
Meanwhile, "I" is a writer and academic who travels to Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
after having been misdiagnosed of a terminal lung cancer. He wants to take a break and start looking for an "authentic life" -- meaning the opposite of that of the state's concept of real life.
The characters' sense of humanity is revealed during their quest. "I" realizes that he still craves the warmth of human society, despite its anxieties.
Structure
"Soul Mountain" is essentially a two-part novel featuring two main characters -- known only as "You" and "I" who turn out to be alter egos of the same persona. The "You" character occupies the odd-numbered chapters 1-31 and the even-numbered chapters from 32-80, while the "I" character's includes even-numbered chapters 2-30 and odd-numbered chapters 33-81. (The idea that they are two sides of the same character is revealed in Chapter 52).Autobiographical influences
In the early 1980s, Gao Xingjian faced a great deal of criticism in the wake of the Chinese Cultural RevolutionCultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
. It was during this time, in 1983, that the author was diagnosed with lung cancer during a regular health screening. With the memory of his father's death by the same cause just two years earlier still fresh in his memory, Xingjian resigned himself to death, which brought about a "transcendant tranquility". However, soon after this diagnosis, an x-ray revealed that his lung cancer was non-existent. At this time Xingjian heard rumors of plans to have him sent to the hellish prison farms of Qinghai province, and thus quickly made the decision to flee Beijing. This decision lead him to begin the journey that forms much of the autobiographical portion of the novel. The journey commences in the forests of Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
province and continues along the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
to the coast. The protagonist ostensively searches for Lingshan (Soul Mountain), but in fact the novel describes "one man's quest for inner peace and freedom" The journey, both in the author's life and in the narrative, include visits to the districts of Qiang
Qiang
The Qiang people are an ethnic group of China. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, with a population of approximately 200,000, living mainly in northwestern part of Sichuan province....
, Miao
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
and Yi
Yi
Yi may mean:* Yi , a letter of the Ukrainian alphabet* Yi , a text editor written in Haskell* Serbia and Montenegro * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, and its sequel, Yoshi's Island DS...
, located on the fringes of Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
civilization; excursions into several nature reserves; and stops at Buddhist and Daoist institutions.
Political and cultural influences
An important and critical aspect of, and influence on the novel was the political and cultural environment in which it was written. The novel was begun in 1982, shortly after the ending of the Cultural RevolutionCultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
in 1976. Additionally, traditional Chinese culture promotes the Confucian ideology of dissolution of the self and promotion of subservience and conformity.. The combination of traditional conformity and the "self-sacrificing" ideology of the Chinese Communist Revolution
Communist revolution
A communist revolution is a proletarian revolution inspired by the ideas of Marxism that aims to replace capitalism with communism, typically with socialism as an intermediate stage...
effectively silenced artists and writers who depended on their creativity of self-expression. Thus, under these circumstances, Gao Xingjian
Gao Xingjian
Gao Xingjian is a Chinese-born novelist, playwright, critic, and painter. An émigré to France since 1987, Gao was granted French citizenship in 1997...
left his native country to finish Soul Mountain in 1989 in Paris, publishing it the following year in Taipei. Mabel Lee
Mabel Lee
Mabel Lee is a translator of the works of Nobel Prize-winning author Gao Xingjian. She has taught Asian studies at the University of Sydney and is one of Australia's leading authorities on Chinese cultural affairs...
describes the novel as "a literary response to the devastation of the self".
Publication
Soul Mountain was first published as Lingshan in TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
by Lianjing Chubanshe (聯經出版社, Linking Publishing Company) in 1990. It was then published first in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
1992 by Göran Malmqvist
Göran Malmqvist
Professor Nils Göran David Malmqvist is a Swedish linguist, member of the Swedish Academy , literary historian, sinologist and translator.-Biography:...
, member of the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
and close friend of the author; in 1995 it was translated into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
by Liliane and Noël Dutrait by the title of La Montagne de l'âme . In 2000 it was published, with an English translation by Mabel Lee
Mabel Lee
Mabel Lee is a translator of the works of Nobel Prize-winning author Gao Xingjian. She has taught Asian studies at the University of Sydney and is one of Australia's leading authorities on Chinese cultural affairs...
, by Flamingo/HarperCollins in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Reception
In a review published in 2000, after Gao's Nobel win, The New York Times said, "His 81 chapters are an often bewildering and considerably uneven congeries of forms: vignettes, travel writing, ethnographic jottings, daydreams, nightmares, recollections, conversations, lists of dynasties and archeological artifacts, erotic encounters, legends, current history, folklore, political, social and ecological commentary, philosophical epigrams, vivid poetical evocation and much else."The Times continues: "A novel in theory, Soul Mountain is more nearly a collection of the musings, memories and poetic, sometimes mystical fantasies of a gifted, angry writer."
Publisher's Weekly called it Gao's "largest and perhaps most personal work."
The Yale Review of Books wrote: "Blazing a new trail for the Chinese novel, Gao Xinjian’s Soul Mountain combines autobiography, the supernatural, and social commentary."
The entry on the novel in Enotes
ENotes
eNotes is a student and teacher educational online website founded in 1998.Based in Seattle, Washington in the United States, eNotes specializes in lesson plans, study guides and literary criticisms and is widely cited across the web...
notes: "While many critics have found Gao's inventive storytelling techniques to be the novel's most remarkable feature, others have found the novel to be overly self-indulgent and alienating to the reader."