White Sand

Name: White Sand
ISBN: 9787533960681

Geoff Dyer / 王晓英Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaAug 2020

4.2

Word count: 106K words
Chapters: 22
ISBN: 9787533960681

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Summary

In White Sands, Geoff Dyer writes about travel, oblivion, and the questions we ask when we look at ourselves from the outside. He takes us on a series of strange adventures and pilgrimages, from French Polynesia to the far north of Norway, his footsteps spanning the globe. Throughout his explorations—with a "guide" in Beijing's Forbidden City who is not actually a guide, with a friend in New Mexico, with strangers hitchhiking near the White Sands prison, with the American jazz musician Don Cherry in Los Angeles (or merely a photograph of him)—the author continues his unfinished exploration of the world: what exactly is he looking for? Perhaps even he does not know. Geoff Dyer tries to figure out what a particular place and landscape represent, what they want to tell the world, and what we take from them...

Editor's review

White Sands is a uniquely captivating travel essay by the British writer Geoff Dyer, and it is far from a conventional travelogue. Taking the author's wanderings in the desert regions of the American Southwest as its thread, the book deftly weaves together observations of natural landscapes, the flow of personal moods, art criticism (especially meditations on the paintings of Edward Hopper), and fragments of cultural history, forming a kind of "anti-genre" writing that resists classification. Dyer's prose is full of keen perception and austere poetry; the desert in his hands is not merely a geographical space but a spiritual terrain for thought to roam and existence to become visible. The book's philosophical play with "boredom," "waiting," and "light" reveals the author's deep contemplative temperament and distinctive humor. For readers familiar with Dyer's Otherwise Known as the Human Condition or Out of Sheer Rage, this blend of fiction, criticism, autobiography, and travel writing is his signature style. The book's value lies in the way it models a slow, introspective mode of travel, inviting readers to reexamine their relationship with time, space, and art amid desolation and silence. It is not a guide that offers answers but a companion that poses questions, suited to contemplative readers willing to experience estrangement, blankness, and the beauty of contingency in words.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who love literary nonfiction, especially writing that blends genres
Readers with higher expectations of travel literature, who seek spiritual wandering rather than scenic description
Existing fans of Geoff Dyer who wish to delve deeper into his literary universe
Readers with a contemplative habit who enjoy thoughts that grow out of solitude and blankness

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a clear storyline, strong plot, or conventional guidebook-style travel content
Pragmatists seeking a fast reading experience and definite conclusions

Reading tips

There is no need to rush through it in one sitting; read intermittently by chapter, matching your own moods of contemplation or mental drift.
While reading, you might pair the book with Edward Hopper's paintings or images of the American Southwest to enhance immersion in the setting.
Pay attention to how the author connects seemingly trivial observations with vast frames of cultural and artistic reference, and appreciate the leaps and reconciliations of his thought.

About the publisher

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House is a Chinese publisher specializing in literary publishing. Judging from the 808 titles in the database, its publishing areas cover world classics, foreign literature, social novels, folk literature and classic works, as well as modern and contemporary literature and prose. Representative titles include foreign literary translations such as Anna Karenina, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, In Praise of Shadows and The Complete Tragedies and Comedies of Shakespeare, alongside classic works by Lao She and Lu Xun such as Camel Xiangzi, Teahouse and Wandering. Its authors and translators include Leo Tolstoy, Cao Ying, Lao She, Yukio Mishima, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Zhu Shenghao. The press emphasizes the translation and introduction of classic texts and the compilation of native literary works, giving equal weight to Chinese and foreign literature. Owing to limited public information, its specific series and editorial policies are not elaborated here.

版权信息
序言
一
故宫
二
哪里？什么？哪里？
三
时间中的空间
四
空间中的时间
五
北极黑
六
白沙
七
朝圣
八
吉米·加里森的叙事曲
九
开始
十
致谢

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a travelogue?

It resists easy classification. In form it unfolds as a travel essay, but at its core it is a composite text blending personal meditation, art criticism, and cultural observation, continuing Geoff Dyer's longstanding "anti-genre" style.

Can I understand this book without having read other works by Geoff Dyer?

Absolutely. The book stands on its own, though knowing that the author excels at breaking down genre boundaries will help you enter his distinctive narrative rhythm and reflective atmosphere more quickly.

Do I need to know about Edward Hopper and his paintings beforehand?

Not necessarily, but browsing Hopper's representative works depicting solitude, light, and quiet scenes (such as Nighthawks) beforehand will allow you to resonate more deeply with the author's descriptions and extended reflections.

Comments

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About the author

Geoff Dyer Author · British · 1958

Geoff Dyer is a British writer born in Cheltenham in 1958. He studied English literature at Oxford University. His books include But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz, Out of Sheer Rage: Wrestling with D. H. Lawrence, Yoga for People Who Can't Be Bothered to Do It, White Sands, The Missing of the Somme, Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room, and The Encyclopedia of the Human Condition: Selected Essays. Blending fiction, travel writing, criticism, biography, and memoir, his work resists easy classification and ranges across jazz, literature, film, history, and travel. He has received the Somerset Maugham Award, the W. H. Smith Travel Book of the Year Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

王晓英 Author

Publicly available information about Wang Xiaoying is limited, and the existing sources are not enough to confirm her nationality, dates of birth and death, or personal background. Judging from the eight titles held in the collection, her editorial and translation work mainly covers two areas: foreign literature and modern poetry. Representative works include the complete four-volume set of Ali Smith's Seasonal Quartet, as well as individual volumes such as Autumn, Winter, and White Sand, which shows a sustained interest in contemporary English-language literature, especially narrative works organized around seasons and nature. In addition, the reading assessment guide to Ai Qing's poetry belongs to the category of modern-poetry reading and evaluation materials, while The God of War and The Mistress of the Ritz touch on other foreign-literary subjects. Overall, her work leans toward title selection, translation and introduction, and reading promotion rather than personal creative writing.