Giant Beast

Name: Giant Beast
ISBN: 9787559864499

西川Guangxi Normal University Press · ChinaAug 2026

4.0

Word count: 220K words
Chapters: 43
ISBN: 9787559864499

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Summary

This collection is divided into six volumes. Volume I gathers some of Xi Chuan's early work from the 1980s; Volumes II through V are represented by the long poems and poem sequences of his middle and later periods; Volume VI consists mostly of essays. The works collected here were written between 1985 and 2022, spanning nearly forty years, and together offer a concentrated view of the transformation and maturity of Xi Chuan's poetic style. Beginning with "Salute," Xi Chuan's poetic expression turned toward a preference for hybrid, heterogeneous, and deviant themes; through new forms of writing he reveals the absurdity, reality, and awkwardness produced when the spiritual world encounters the actual one. By such large-scale works as "The Words of the Eagle," "Little Old Man," "Blooming," and "Close Range and Distant View," the formal inventiveness and the contradictions and entanglements of language become ever more pronounced. In his multidimensional writing and exploration, the interweaving of these disparate elements and the presentation of the complexity of real materials greatly expand the substance of poetic experience and open new possibilities for modern Chinese poetry.

Editor's review

This six-volume collection traces nearly forty years of Xi Chuan's writing, from 1985 to 2022. Volume One gathers early work, Volumes Two through Five present the long poems and poem sequences of his middle and later periods, and Volume Six consists largely of essays, creating a structure in which poetry and prose illuminate each other. Beginning with "Salute," Xi Chuan's poetic expression turned markedly toward themes of mixture, heterogeneity, and deviation, using new forms to present the absurdity, truth, and awkwardness that arise when the inner world meets reality; in bulky works such as "The Words of the Eagle," "Little Old Man," "Blooming," and "Close Range and Distant View," formal inventiveness and linguistic contradiction and entanglement become increasingly pronounced. The value lies not in smooth lyricism but in a multidimensional writing and interweaving of materials that expand the substance of poetic experience and open new possibilities for modern Chinese poetry. It demands patience and a willingness to linger within linguistic entanglement, and serves as a complete sample for observing the transformation of contemporary Chinese poetry.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers and writers of contemporary poetry interested in formal experimentation in long poems and poem sequences
Students of Chinese literature and creative writing looking for a case study in the transformation of Chinese-language poetry
Deep readers willing to read slowly and engage with intricate language and heterogeneous materials

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers who prefer short lyric poems and clear, smooth language
Readers who only have fragmented time and find it hard to read long poems continuously
Readers expecting a clear plot or a single thematic focus

Reading tips

Read the early works in Volume One first to establish a reference point, then move into the middle and later long poems to sense the stylistic turning point
When reading a long poem, take one section at a time, making marks and annotations; do not insist on fully understanding it in one pass
Read the essays in Volume Six alongside poems from the corresponding periods to understand where his poetics came from
Try representative pieces such as "Salute" and "The Words of the Eagle" first, then decide on a reading order for the whole book

About the publisher

Guangxi Normal University Press China · Founded in 1986

Guangxi Normal University Press is a publisher known for literature, foreign literature and history titles. Its 1,175 books in the database show a solid accumulation in classics and prose collections, including foreign literary works such as Les Fleurs du mal: Annotated Poems of Baudelaire, Snow Country, Dubliners and The Wild Palms, as well as modern prose compilations like The Complete Prose of Zhou Zuoren. History and philosophy also hold a notable share, with titles such as Running Dogs: Clerks and Runners in Qing County Yamen and The History and Thought of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom reflecting attention to Qing local administration and modern history. In art literature there is the 16-volume Ten Bamboo Studio Painting and Calligraphy Manual. Its author resources include foreign writers Charles Baudelaire and Yasunari Kawabata, translators and annotators Liu Nanqi and Zou Bo, and scholars such as Zhong Shuhe, Bradly W. Reed and You Chenjun. As public information is limited, this characterization is based only on the books in the database, which together present a profile balancing Chinese and foreign literary classics with academic works in the humanities and social sciences.

版权信息
还好（代序）
卷一汇合
雨季
挽歌
造访
哀歌
远游
卷二深浅
致敬
景色
厄运
芳名
镜花水月
鹰的话语
近景和远景
我的天（诗剧）
卷三开花
现实感
出行日记
南疆笔记
小老儿
醒在南京
潘家园旧货市场玄思录
开花
卷四鉴史四十五章及其他
鉴史四十五章
万寿十八章（节选）
词语层（节选）
卷五纪事与狂想
2011年1月埃及纪事
2011年3月日本纪事
论限度
论欲望，顺便论及天堂和死亡
梦想着灵魂飞扬的文字
卷六一些看法
《大河拐大弯》序
《小主意》出版说明
《重新注册》出版说明
《灰烬的光芒》序
鸟瞰世界诗歌一千年
汉语作为有邻语言
附录：西川创作活动年表

FAQ

I haven't read any of Xi Chuan's earlier collections. Can I start directly with this book?

Yes. The book is divided into six volumes by time, and Volume One collects early works from the 1980s, which serves as a natural entry point. It is best to start with Volume One and then move into the middle and later long poems and sequences, so you can feel the thread of stylistic transformation; if time is limited, you can first try representative pieces such as "Salute."

Why are the long poems and sequences in this book relatively difficult to read?

According to the publisher's materials, from "Salute" onward Xi Chuan favored mixed, heterogeneous, and deviant themes, using new forms of writing to present the absurdity, truth, and awkwardness produced by encounters between the spiritual world and reality; in bulky works such as "The Words of the Eagle," linguistic contradiction and entanglement become more pronounced. The difficulty comes from the formal experimentation itself, not from a lack of background knowledge.

What is the relationship between the essays in Volume Six and the poetry?

Volume Six consists mostly of essays, which stand in a mutually corroborating relationship with the poems in the preceding five volumes. The essays help readers understand the poet's thinking on writing, reality, and language, making it easier to grasp the intent behind his formal choices when returning to the long poems. It is best to read them alongside poems from the corresponding periods rather than in isolation.

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About the author

西川 Author

Xi Chuan is one of the representative poets in contemporary Chinese poetry, whose creative writing is interwoven with translation and research, forming a distinctive profile. Four of his works are held in this collection: the poetry collections The Light of Ashes and The Behemoth, and The Great River Turns a Great Bend: A Poetic Thought Exploring Possibilities, included in the New Poetry Studies series, which shows his sustained reflection on poetics; there is also Borges Interviews, a work involving foreign literature that reflects his translation and attention to literary resources beyond China. Within the classifications used here, his works are often placed under modern poetry and foreign literature. Public information on Xi Chuan's nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, and awards is limited, so no inferences are made here. Through these works, readers can observe his poetic exploration and cross-linguistic literary vision.