The Prodigal

Name: The Prodigal
ISBN: 9787555261247

亚历克斯·米勒 / 李尧Qingdao Publishing House · ChinaJan 2021

4.0

Word count: 192K words
Chapters: 21
ISBN: 9787555261247

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Summary

The novel tells the story of four generations of the Feng family from Fujian, China, who emigrate and settle in Australia. The Prodigal spans time and place from the Australian gold rushes of the 1850s in colonial New South Wales to the Chinese cities of Hangzhou and Shanghai on the eve of the War of Resistance Against Japan, and back to the multicultural melting pot of 1950s Melbourne—a work that crosses time and space, culture and home.

Editor's review

The Prodigal is a profound and philosophical work by Australian author Alex Miller. Miller is known for his delicate psychological portraiture and his deep exploration of themes such as migration, identity, and belonging, and this novel continues his consistent literary style. The story revolves around the protagonist's displacement and return, using the ups and downs of individual fate to reflect broader historical and cultural shifts. The author does not rush to tell a plot-driven story but instead delves into the characters' inner worlds, depicting their struggles between foreign lands and homeland, their memories of the past, and their search for self-identity. This introspective narrative makes the reading experience more like a journey of the mind, requiring readers to maintain a certain patience and focus to appreciate the emotions and thoughts flowing between the lines. Miller's language is plain yet powerful, and his scene descriptions often carry symbolic meaning, giving the novel rich interpretive space beyond the level of personal story. For readers who enjoy strongly literary works that emphasize psychological depth and humanistic concern, The Prodigal offers ample material for reflection. Its exploration of diaspora and return, memory and truth, and the relationship between self and other are all universally meaningful propositions that can prompt readers to reflect on their own circumstances.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in migration literature and cross-cultural identity issues
Literary enthusiasts who appreciate introspective psychological depiction and literary narrative
Thinkers who wish to reflect on the relationship between history and memory through personal stories
Readers who enjoy Australian literature or want to learn about Alex Miller's works

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking fast-paced, plot-heavy, and dramatically conflicted stories
Practical readers who want light reading or clear answers

Reading tips

It is recommended to read in a relatively quiet environment where you can focus and think, so as to deeply appreciate the subtlety of the text
Pay attention to how the author creates atmosphere through details and scenes, and consider the symbolic meaning behind them
After reading, you may pause to connect with your own experiences or observations and reflect on the book's themes of belonging and identity

About the publisher

Qingdao Publishing House China · Founded in 1987

Founded in 1987, Qingdao Publishing House has long focused on education, science and technology, children's books, and lifestyle titles, while steadily publishing classical and foreign literature. Its 827 titles in the catalog reflect a balance between making classics widely accessible and serving young readers. They include the four great classics of Chinese literature—Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Dream of the Red Chamber, and Journey to the West—as well as foreign literary translations such as Sei Shōnagon's The Pillow Book, works associated with Zhou Zuoren, and Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. The press also offers a color-illustrated series of recommended classics for primary and secondary school Chinese curriculum reading, using pictures and text to support student readers. Its common categories cover classical literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, folk literature, and foreign literature, with authors including Luo Guanzhong, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Gao E, Wu Cheng'en, Sei Shōnagon, Zhou Zuoren, and Victor Hugo. Public information is limited, so this profile emphasizes the publishing directions shown by the catalog.

版权信息
编委会
鸣谢
总序 1
总序 2
总序 3
第一部
第一章父亲之死
第二章孩子们
第三章莲与凤
第四章冬日来客
第五章不寻常的孩子
第六章画像
第七章母亲
第八章花园里的插曲
第九章往事的回忆
第二部
第十章走向另一个世界
第十一章凉亭里的沉思
第十二章情人们
第十三章小红门

FAQ

What is the narrative pace of this book?

The narrative pace of this book is relatively slow, focusing on exploring the inner world and creating atmosphere rather than relying on the rapid advancement of external plot.

What are the writing characteristics of author Alex Miller?

Alex Miller excels at depicting complex emotions and psychological states with delicate, restrained strokes. His works often explore themes such as identity, exile, memory, and sense of place, and possess profound literary quality and humanistic concern.

Is this book suitable as an introductory read for understanding Australian literature?

This book is a very good sample for understanding the serious literary vein in contemporary Australian literature, but due to the specificity of its themes and style, it may be more suitable for readers who already have some interest in literary reading.

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About the author

亚历克斯·米勒 Author

Alex Miller is an author about whom limited public information is available; only one work by this author, The Prodigal Son, is currently held in the collection. According to the available information, this work is classified as a social novel, suggesting that Miller's writing attends to social reality and human fate, and tends to present individuals' circumstances and choices within their social environment through narrative. Since the dates of birth and death, nationality, educational background, and writing career cannot be confirmed, a complete account of the author's life and creative development is difficult to provide. As for The Prodigal Son, the title itself carries connotations of return and wandering, echoing the thematic orientation of the social novel and allowing readers to perceive the author's attention to human relations and social conditions. Overall, the number of Miller's currently verifiable works is very small, and the author's writing style and literary influence require more material for a full assessment; this introduction offers only an objective statement based on the facts in the collection and the work's classification.

李尧 Author

Li Yao is an author about whom limited public information is available; neither nationality, dates of birth and death, nor an English name has been clearly recorded. The library holds twenty of the author's works, spanning foreign literature, biography, social novels, essays and miscellaneous writings, as well as examination-related books, indicating that the writing and editorial work is not confined to a single field. Representative works include The True History of the Kelly Gang, Carpentaria, The Tree of Man, The Swan Book, The Rachel Papers, A Mirror Flaw, The Call and The Prodigal Son. Judging from the titles and categories, some works show a strong narrative quality and social concern, while others tend toward essays or the arrangement of historical materials. Because verifiable biographical information is insufficient, specific experiences and creative background cannot yet be described in detail; readers may turn to the works above to understand the author's textual style and areas of interest.