Relationship of Deceased Author Vargas Llosa with Chinese Readership
Rewritten Article:
Mario Vargas Llosa's passing at the tender age of 89 left a profound impact on Chinese enthusiasts, evidenced by the heartbroken response from 43-year-old fan Zhao Xiuying, who shared on a popular online platform that "it felt like a light was extinguished in my heart." Vargas Llosa, a Nobel Prize-winning titan of Latin American literature, captivated readers through his diverse works, from playwrighting to banking, and even venturing into politics - yet, with a gaze that transcended borders, he acknowledged the value of Chinese readers.
An Unexpected Bond
It was the summer of 2011 when fate brought Zhao, a devoted admirer of Vargas Llosa, across paths with the renowned author during his visit to China. Although the precise details of his stay remained elusive, the Nobel laureate graced the stages of Shanghai International Studies University and the Shanghai Theatre Academy, captivating a sea of students, fellow wordsmiths, aficionados, and journalists. As a tribute to his captivated fanbase, the titan of literature penned a heartfelt letter to Chinese readers, praising the universal power of literature and the unintentional outreach of his own stories to such distant lands.
In the letter, he admitted his great admiration for China, comparing the country to "fantastical and unbelievable" places from adventure stories, but also to a "real and immensely powerful" nation. Starting in the late '70s, Vargas Llosa's works had already begun to infiltrate the Chinese literary landscape, with one notable publication in the form of a Chinese translation of the prominent author's The Time of the Hero, completed by Zhao Deming, a renowned translator of Spanish literature. Though Deming is no longer with us, the legacy of his work survives to this day.
A Curious Mind
In an interview, Professor Hou Jian of Xi'an International Studies University revealed that during a meeting with Vargas Llosa in Madrid, the author expressed his deep interest in learning more about China and the way his works were received in the East. Piqued by this curiosity, Hou discovered that Vargas Llosa frequentlyincorporated Chinese characters and cultural elements within his stories, even going so far as to inquire about the word "chifa" during their conversation.
A Shared Legacy
Contrasting the surreal, dreamlike narrative style of fellow Latin American luminary Gabriel García Márquez and the cultural fusion of works by Carlos Fuentes, Vargas Llosa is renowned for his meticulousliterary structure. His novels span intricate, multi-threaded narratives that dissect social complexities, encapsulating realities as seen through the eyes of individual characters. His labors of love, like Conversation in the Cathedral, weave together life stories and serve as mirrors of Peruvian society.
Hou highlights Vargas Llosa as a "global intellectual," noting that the author remained steadfast in his pursuit of justice and human dignity by tackling morally-charged taboos throughout his oeuvre. Whether exploring his homeland, broader Latin America, or foreign shores through Spanish citizenship, Vargas Llosa's work resonates not only with Latin American cultures but with readers from various backgrounds, thanks to the universal values embedded within his writing.
Young enthusiast Tang Yi found that unlike other authors who critique society without room for hope, Vargas Llosa's characters always embody a quest for optimism. In 1997, the author published Letters to a Young Novelist, where he revealed his writing technique known as "Caja China," a storytelling method characterized by its weaving of primary and secondary narratives that intersect and interact with one another. Tang asserts that rather than instructing readers about the art of writing, Vargas Llosa instead imparts the mindset of a discerning writer, encouraging curiosity and exploration beyond our own immediate surroundings.
In essence, through his intricate literary journeys, Vargas Llosa exemplifies the cultural fusion typical of our globalized era. By staying true to his roots while never confining himself to a single cultural framework, the enigmatic author's contributions continue to captivate readers, bridging cultural divides and kindling hope for a brighter tomorrow.
- Zhao Xiuying, a devoted fan of Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, appreciated his appreciation for Chinese readers as evidenced in a heartfelt letter he penned during his visit to China in 2011.
- Vargas Llosa, a global intellectual and Nobel laureate, expressed his curiosity about China during a meeting with Professor Hou Jian, inquiring about Chinese characters and cultural elements incorporated in his works.
- Books like "The Time of the Hero," Chinese translations of Vargas Llosa's works, have been influential in the Chinese literary landscape, being published as early as the late '70s.
- Tang Yi, a young enthusiast, found Vargas Llosa's characters always embodied a quest for optimism, and admired the author's writing technique known as "Caja China," which encourages curiosity and exploration beyond immediate surroundings.
