The Narrow Gate
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Summary
Strait Is the Gate, a semi-autobiographical novel, tells a tragic love story at once pure, ardent, and infinitely bitter. In it, Gide pushes the mystical experience of love to its extreme, recounting a love affair that is pure and passionate yet endlessly painful. The Immoralist is a novel with strong autobiographical overtones. In 1947, Gide was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature on the strength of The Pastoral Symphony.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in French literature and classic works
- Readers who enjoy exploring characters' complex inner worlds and spiritual predicaments
- Readers seeking to understand the theme of conflict between religious ethics and personal emotion
- Readers who appreciate refined, beautiful, and thought-provoking literary language
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking light, pleasant, fast-paced stories with tight plotting
- Readers impatient with extensive psychological description and religious-philosophical discussion
Reading tips
- Read immersively in a quiet setting, savoring the subtle flow of emotion in the letters and diaries.
- Learn something about Gide's life and intellectual background to deepen your understanding of the novel's themes.
- After finishing, reflect on what the "strait gate" symbolizes for modern people, and what "eternity" each of us pursues.
About the publisher
Adhering to the publishing purpose of "broad education," East China Normal University Press extends beyond its three main areas of textbooks, academic works and general-interest books, and its catalogue clearly reflects a vision that bridges Chinese and foreign humanities and social sciences. In foreign literature it offers classics such as Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country and The Old Capital (translated by Chen Dewen), Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and Rilke's annotated edition of The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (translated by Chen Zao); in architecture, Chen Congzhou's two-volume Appreciation Dictionary of Chinese Gardens; in social psychology, The Social Animal: 12th Edition; and it also includes philosophy titles, traditional-culture works such as the six-volume Paintings for the Protection of Life, and education books. Its authors include renowned Chinese and foreign writers and skilled translators, showing a publishing profile that balances classic translation, scholarly accumulation and public reading. Public information is limited; the above is based only on the books in the catalogue.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 译序
- 窄门
- 一
- 二
- 三
- 四
- 五
- 六
- 七
- 八
- 阿丽莎的日记
- 重见朱丽叶
- 尾声
- 违背道德的人
- 前言
- 致D.R.议长先生
- 第一部分
- 第二部分
- 第三部分
- 田园交响曲
- 第一册
- 第二册
- 安德烈·纪德年表
FAQ
Is Strait Is the Gate a love story?
Why is the book called "Strait Is the Gate"?
What does Gide want to express through this novel?
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About the author
André Gide was a French writer, born in Paris in 1869 and died in Paris in 1951. His work spans novels, essays, and literary criticism, with representative titles including The Immoralist, Strait Is the Gate, La Symphonie pastorale, The Counterfeiters, and The Fruits of the Earth. These works often trace the moral struggles of their characters, written in restrained yet reflective prose. In 1947 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, which brought his literary standing wider international recognition. Gide is regarded as an important figure in twentieth-century French literature and has had a lasting influence on the psychological depiction and narrative forms of the modern novel. The library holds 70 of his works, spanning categories such as foreign literature, classic works, and social fiction, showing that his writing has long circulated among Chinese readers.
Ma Zhenpin. Public information about this author is limited, and details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Nevertheless, the three works held in the library offer some indication of the author's focus. Ma translated Strait Is the Gate by the French writer André Gide, and also translated Montaigne's Essays, published in the "National Reading Classics" series, with a hardcover edition in the same series. In terms of subject matter, Ma Zhenpin's work centers on foreign literature and prose, with particular attention to Chinese translation of classic French essays and fiction. Montaigne's essays are known for skepticism and self-reflection, written in a relaxed and expansive style, while Gide's novel focuses on inner struggle and moral dilemma. Ma's translations convey the reflective quality of the originals while also accommodating the reading habits of Chinese readers, offering accessible versions that help domestic readers understand French literature and the essay tradition.
