The Great Grouse

Name: The Great Grouse
ISBN: 9787555915195

米歇尔·图尼埃 / 黄荭Henan Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJun 2023

4.3

Word count: 144K words
Chapters: 17
ISBN: 9787555915195

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Summary

The Great Cockerel collects fourteen short stories by Michel Tournier, including reinterpretations of classic literature and myths, humorous and satirical depictions of everyday life, and strange explorations of human nature and society. He hides profound philosophical meaning within ordinary, everyday scenes, creating a wonderfully extraordinary reading experience: a child's first adventure, a peculiar girl's exploration of death, the secret desires of marginal figures, a love story by the highway... In Tournier's literary world, life seems plain and unremarkable, yet is full of surprises everywhere.

Editor's review

Tournier's short stories have always excelled at tucking philosophical reflection into everyday scenes, and these fourteen are no exception: some rework classical literature and myth, while others turn their lens on love along the highway, a strange girl's exploration of death, the hidden desires of marginal figures. On the surface they are plain slices of life, yet as you read on, shifts and surprises keep emerging; the narrative pace is restrained, and the endings often give a gentle push that changes the meaning of every detail that came before. Huang Hong's translation preserves the original's coldness and humor; the language makes no show of virtuosity, yet leaves a lingering sweetness. It suits reading one piece at a time in spare moments, pausing after each to think about what exactly has been overturned in the story; it also suits aspiring writers studying how a short story builds an allegory from everyday materials. This is not a book that offers answers, but one that makes you doubt the very idea of "normal."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of short stories who favor allegorical and philosophical narrative
Readers and writers interested in mythic rewrites and adaptations of classics
Readers who want short pieces for commuting or bedtime with room for reflection
Creative writing practitioners seeking to observe how the everyday becomes strange story

Not a good fit for

Popular fiction readers expecting strong plot, fast pace, or clear endings
Readers unwilling to accept ambiguity and needing a standard interpretation for every piece
Readers sensitive to themes of death and desire, or preferring warm, healing styles

Reading tips

Read one or two pieces at a time; after finishing, recall how the title and ending echo each other—no need to rush through.
Keep a pen handy and note seemingly idle details in each piece; they are often the key to the story's turn.
For pieces involving myth or rewrites of classics, learn the gist of the source first, then compare Tournier's playful rewriting.
After finishing, pick your favorite piece and reread it to observe how the author carries philosophy in everyday scenes without preaching.

About the publisher

Henan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1996

Founded in 1996, Henan Literature and Art Publishing House mainly publishes books on literature and art, social sciences and broadly cultural subjects, and also edits and publishes the journal Celebrity Biography, gradually forming a publishing style characterized by full-length historical novels and biographical literature. Judging from the 269 titles in the database, its publishing scope also covers mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, classic works and world classics. Representative books include Ellery Queen's four tragedies, Slaughterhouse-Five, Blindness, The Siege of Lisbon, The History of the Siege of Lisbon, the ten-volume Collected Works of Wang Zengqi, Old Tales Retold and the two-volume Classic Short Stories of Stanisław Lem, the God of Science Fiction. In terms of authors, it includes foreign masters such as Kurt Vonnegut, José Saramago and Ellery Queen, as well as translators such as Yang Xi, Yu Jianhua and Fan Weixin.

版权信息
亚当家族
鲁滨孙·克鲁索的结局
圣诞老妈
阿芒迪娜或两个花园
小布塞出走
倪扎仁
愿欢乐常在
红色侏儒
特里斯丹·沃克斯
维罗妮卡的裹尸布
少女与死亡
大松鸡
铃兰空地
拜物者
附录
译后记在万事万物深处，有一条鱼在游

FAQ

Is this book suitable for first-time Tournier readers?

Yes. It is a short-story collection with relatively independent pieces; no prior reading of his novels or overall oeuvre is required. Readers can enter from any piece and experience his typical method of making the everyday feel strange. If you like this restrained, polysemous style, his novels or other collections are easier to approach afterward.

Do these stories require understanding the underlying myths and allusions?

Not necessarily. Some pieces do reinterpret classics or myths, and knowing the sources adds a layer of comparative pleasure, but the author does not build the reading threshold on allusion knowledge. Ordinary readers can follow the narrative and still feel the characters' situations and the shift at the end; looking up the sources afterward can yield the surprise of a second reading.

Why do many stories feel not fully understood after reading?

This may be intentional space left by the author. Tournier often hides philosophical meaning in ordinary scenes and offers no clear conclusions; the ending twist changes the meaning of what came before, leaving readers to piece it together. Don't worry if you don't fully understand—note your points of confusion, reread later, or discuss with friends; ambiguity itself is part of the reading experience of such fiction.

In what settings is it suitable to read?

It suits fragmented but reflective settings—commuting, bedtime, or afternoon. Each piece is short; one or two at a time won't break your train of thought. Pause a few minutes after reading to reflect; this reveals the use of details better than binge-reading. It also works well for book clubs, selecting one or two pieces for focused discussion each time.

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About the author

米歇尔·图尼埃 Author

Michel Tournier is a French writer whose name is usually rendered in Chinese as Michel Tournier; other biographical details are relatively limited in publicly available sources. Three of his works are included here, with representative titles being The Erl-King, The Golden Droplet, and Friday, or, The Other Island, commonly classified under foreign literature. Judging from these works, Tournier's writing often draws on myth, classics, and fable, using old stories to pursue modern philosophical questions, and his narratives combine fantasy with reflection. Friday rewrites the Robinson Crusoe castaway theme, while The Erl-King explores human nature and history in an allegorical manner. His prose is often regarded as concise and rich in symbolism, giving him a distinctive place in contemporary French literature and continuing appeal for readers who enjoy intellectually ambitious retellings of tradition.

黄荭 Author

Public information about Huang Hong is limited: her year of birth, nationality, and educational background are not clearly documented. Judging from the seven works held in the collection, her writing and translation span foreign literature, biography, and inspirational growth. Her titles include Black Studio, The Power of Years, The Great Rooster, Sunday, and Everyone, as well as I Cannot Walk Out of My Dark Night and A True Home: Conversations with Michelle Porte. These titles suggest a sustained interest in personal experience, memory, and emotional themes, with an introspective and delicate style that unfolds her characters' inner lives through everyday detail. Her works are categorized under foreign literature and biography, and some have appeared in short-classics editions, showing a cross-genre character between essays, biography, and narrative writing. Given the insufficient verifiable biographical information, a full assessment of her oeuvre and influence awaits further material.