Signal
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Summary
Most of these stories take place in Louisiana, the state he loves deeply, along the banks of the Mississippi River; some are set in North Carolina and in midwinter Minnesota. Readers feel themselves immersed in the heat and humidity of the American South, seeing the men and women in these stories wrestling with faith and all manner of private troubles, seeing their small-town lives and blue-collar work. A precious radio, a miraculous sewing machine in an abandoned safe, a barge on the Mississippi, card games and casinos, grandparents and grandchildren... Their stories move toward absurd, unsettling, or sublime endings.
In 2017, Signal was named a best book of the year by The Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who love American Southern literature or the styles of writers such as Raymond Carver and Flannery O'Connor
- Deep readers seeking to discover profound humanity and literary beauty in ordinary daily life
- Those curious about and sympathetic to the living conditions and inner worlds of the blue-collar class
- Writing students hoping to study how character and theme are shaped through detail and atmosphere
Not a good fit for
- Entertainment-oriented readers seeking strong plots, fast pacing, and dramatic conflict
- Readers hoping for clear life guidance or chicken-soup-style consolation
Reading tips
- Read slowly in a quiet environment, savoring the details and atmosphere of each story rather than rushing to finish
- Try to understand the stories in connection with the geography and history of the American South to appreciate their distinctive flavor
- After reading, reflect on one or two ordinary characters who moved you most—where lie their predicaments and their dignity
About the publisher
Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 偶像之殇
- 重塑信心
- 坏种
- 收音机的魔力
- 修炉人的哀歌
- 悔
- 水上魂影
- 灭虫人
- 翅膀
- 钢琴调音师
- 书评的故事
- 失手
- 信号
- 安抚心灵
- “一本万利号”赌船
- 电阻起风波
- 休·皮斯托拉酒后历险
- 赌桌上的调味酒
- 保险柜之谜
- 融入孩子
- 光亮中的盲区
FAQ
Is this book a novel or a short story collection?
Are there other works by Tim Gautreaux available in China?
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About the author
Tim Gautreaux is a writer of foreign literature known chiefly for his short stories. At present, reliable public information about his exact nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name is limited; the library holds only one work by him, Signal. Judging from the "foreign literature" category in which this work is placed, Gautreaux writes for general literary readers and belongs to the contemporary tradition of foreign fiction. The title Signal suggests that the narrative may revolve around the transmission of information, human communication, or some kind of suggestive clue, but given the limited materials, the specific plot and thematic orientation cannot be confirmed. On the available evidence, Gautreaux's work consists mainly of short fiction, and his style tends to convey his characters' situations through everyday scenes and small signals. More material is needed to assess the scale and influence of his output. Readers may regard him as a foreign literary author worth watching and, through Signal, appreciate his narrative interest and textual texture.
Public information about Cheng Yingzhu is limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not known. According to available records, two of his works have been collected, namely Signal and A Collection of Strange Tales, both commonly classified under foreign literature. This classification suggests that his writing may involve the translation, editing, or adaptation of foreign literary works, with themes leaning toward suspense and the strange. Judging by their titles, both Signal and A Collection of Strange Tales are narrative works that rely on plot and imagination, indicating a preference for texts with a distinctive atmosphere and strong storytelling. Because the available information is confined to titles and categories, his specific approach to writing or translation and his creative background cannot be further confirmed. This introduction therefore makes no speculation and offers only an objective outline based on the facts at hand; more details of his life and work await further public information.
