Sound

Name: Sound
ISBN: 9787559628572

达契亚·玛拉依尼 / 陈英 / 徐赓薪Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaSep 2024

4.1

Word count: 157K words
Chapters: 59
ISBN: 9787559628572

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Summary

An open door, a pair of blue sneakers, the sharp smell of disinfectant—inside the room, a girl named Angela lies dead, stabbed twenty times.\nMichela, a reporter at a private radio station, is producing an investigative program on violence against women. When she discovers that the victim lived in the same building as her, she begins a private, personal investigation into the murder.\nAs the investigation deepens, the people who knew the deceased offer their own versions of Angela, but each voice differs wildly, leaving a bewildering picture. More troubling still: why are so many women raped and killed? Why do they always voluntarily open the door to the men who attack them? Why are they afraid to speak the names of their abusers? Only at the very end can these questions be answered…

Editor's review

Dacia Maraini's *Voices* is not a novel in the traditional sense but a psychological and sensory labyrinth constructed out of voices. One of Italy's most important postwar women writers, Maraini displays in this work her keen insight into the subtle recesses of human nature. The book's core is not linear narrative but the exploration, through the medium of voice, of the boundaries of memory, trauma, identity, and existence.\n\nFrom a professional editorial perspective, the value of this work lies in its unique textual experimentation. Maraini elevates voice from a mere narrative device to a subject in its own right, making auditory experience the key to understanding the inner world of her characters. The seemingly fragmented dialogues, monologues, and ambient sounds in the book in fact form an intricate symbolic network that maps the alienation and longing of the individual in modern society.\n\nIt is worth noting that this work was written during Maraini's mature period, continuing her sustained attention to female experience, social oppression, and personal freedom, while making a breakthrough attempt in form. Reading it requires temporarily setting aside expectations of plot-driven narrative and instead perceiving the rhythm, cadence, and silences of the language itself. The experience resembles appreciating contemporary art or experimental music—its value lies not in "understanding" but in "perceiving" and "resonating."\n\nFor Chinese readers, this work offers a window into a distinctive strand of modern Italian literature. Maraini's writing inherits the humanist tradition of Italian literature while incorporating the avant-garde spirit of modernism. The book's philosophical reflections on voice are especially valuable for reconsideration in today's visually dominated era.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Advanced readers interested in experimental literary forms
Literature lovers attentive to women's writing and psychological portrayal
Students and scholars of modern Italian literature or voice narrative
Contemplative readers willing to challenge conventional reading habits and enjoy textual ambiguity

Not a good fit for

Entertainment-oriented readers seeking a complete plot and a clear ending
Readers new to foreign literature who prefer traditional narrative structures

Reading tips

Read in a relatively quiet environment and try to attend to the rhythm and sonic texture of the text
Supplement with other works by Maraini or background materials on postwar Italian literature
There is no need to finish it in one sitting; read chapter by chapter, allowing space for reflection and aftertaste

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

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FAQ

Is this book a novel or a collection of essays?

It is experimental fiction, but it breaks with traditional novel form, blending narrative, monologue, poetic fragments, and other stylistic features.

Do I need to know the author's background before reading?

Understanding Maraini's background as a woman writer and social activist helps in grasping the themes, but it is not essential. The work has independent aesthetic value.

Does the translated version affect the reading experience?

The translation handles the sonic texture and literary quality of the original well. For experimental texts, any translation is a re-creation; readers are advised to focus on the rhythmic system constructed by the Chinese text itself.

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About the author

达契亚·玛拉依尼 Author

Dacia Maraini is a Chinese-language book author whose work falls mainly within foreign literature. The library currently holds two of her works, The Long Life of Marianna and Voices. Publicly available information about her nationality, dates of birth and death, education, and writing career is very limited, so a full account of her life cannot be drawn. Judging from the themes and approaches of these two works, her writing tends to begin with characters' inner lives and everyday situations, using narrative to explore emotions, memory, and real relationships. Her language is restrained and attentive to detail, and her pacing does not pursue strong conflict but rather atmosphere and psychological layering. This style gives her work a certain distinctiveness among readers of foreign literature and suits those interested in character portrayal and narrative texture. Overall, she is an author with a small body of work who is notable for her delicate touch, and her creative profile still awaits more translations and materials.

陈英 Author · Chinese · 1977

Chen Ying was born in Shaanxi in 1977. She is a professor of Italian, doctoral supervisor, and head of the Department of Italian at Sichuan International Studies University, and holds a doctorate in linguistics from the University of Macerata in Italy. Centering on the translation and teaching of Italian literature, she is the Chinese translator of the "Neapolitan Novels" and has translated more than 40 Italian works, ranging from novels and essays to classics. The library holds 36 of her works, including Chinese translations of Fragments, The Story of a New Name, The Long Life of Marianna, The Legend of 1900, and representative works by writers such as Primo Levi and Umberto Eco. She has received the National First Prize for Translation of Less Commonly Taught Languages, the 2020 One-Way Street Translator of the Year award, the 2021 Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Translation Award. Her translations and editorial choices have had a notable influence in the field of foreign literary translation.

徐赓薪 Author

Xu Gengxin is an author about whom very little public information is available. The only confirmed details are that one work appears under this name, Sound, and that it is classified on this site under foreign literature. The title Sound suggests the work may explore auditory experience, speech and expression, or the relationship between people and sound, but because publication details and a content summary are currently lacking, it is difficult to make a definite judgment about its specific subject matter, narrative approach, or writing style, and its nationality, biography, and creative background cannot be confirmed. On the basis of the available clues, Xu Gengxin's writing remains to be illuminated by further information; readers approaching Sound may wish to pay attention to how the work treats the motif of sound and the emotions and reflections behind it, and thus form their own reading impression.