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The Old Capital: A Novel of Taipei
Chu T'ien-hsin's The Old Capital is a brilliant evocation of Taiwan's literature of nostalgia and remembrance. The novel is centered on the question, "Is it possible that none of your memories count?" and explores the reliability of remembrances and the thin line that separates fact from fantasy.
Comprised of four thematically linked stories and a novella, The Old Capital focuses on the cultural and psychological realities of contemporary Taiwan. The stories are narrated by individuals who share an aching nostalgia for a time long past. Strolling through modern Taipei, they return to the lost, imperfect memories called forth by the smells and sensations of their city, and try to reconcile themselves to their rapidly changing world.
The novella is built on the memories and recollections of a woman trying to make sense of herself and her homeland. After a trip to Kyoto to meet with a friend, she returns to Taipei, where, having been mistaken for a Japanese tourist, she revisits the sites of her youth using a Japanese colonial map of the city. Seeing Taipei anew, the narrator confronts the complex nature of her identity, embodied in the contrast between a serene and preserved Kyoto and a thoroughly modernized and chaotic Taipei.
The growing angst of these narrators reflects a deeper anxiety over the legacy of Japan and America in Taiwan. The titles of the stories themselves-"Death in Venice," "Man of La Mancha," "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Hungarian Water"-reveal the strong currents of influence that run throughout the collection and shape the content and texture of the writing. In his meticulous translation, Howard Goldblatt captures the casual, intimate feel of Chu T'ien-hsin's writing while also maintaining its multiple layers of meaning. An intertextual masterpiece, The Old Capital is a moving and highly sensual meditation on the elasticity of memory and its power to shape personal identity.
Comprised of four thematically linked stories and a novella, The Old Capital focuses on the cultural and psychological realities of contemporary Taiwan. The stories are narrated by individuals who share an aching nostalgia for a time long past. Strolling through modern Taipei, they return to the lost, imperfect memories called forth by the smells and sensations of their city, and try to reconcile themselves to their rapidly changing world.
The novella is built on the memories and recollections of a woman trying to make sense of herself and her homeland. After a trip to Kyoto to meet with a friend, she returns to Taipei, where, having been mistaken for a Japanese tourist, she revisits the sites of her youth using a Japanese colonial map of the city. Seeing Taipei anew, the narrator confronts the complex nature of her identity, embodied in the contrast between a serene and preserved Kyoto and a thoroughly modernized and chaotic Taipei.
The growing angst of these narrators reflects a deeper anxiety over the legacy of Japan and America in Taiwan. The titles of the stories themselves-"Death in Venice," "Man of La Mancha," "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Hungarian Water"-reveal the strong currents of influence that run throughout the collection and shape the content and texture of the writing. In his meticulous translation, Howard Goldblatt captures the casual, intimate feel of Chu T'ien-hsin's writing while also maintaining its multiple layers of meaning. An intertextual masterpiece, The Old Capital is a moving and highly sensual meditation on the elasticity of memory and its power to shape personal identity.
236 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 13, 2008
I read this because it was referenced in a piece I factchecked for T Magazine.
I don't really like reading translated texts; there is almost always a sense of detachment from the material, a suspicion that some understanding is amiss. I wonder how much subtext is absent, lament my inability to appreciate the artistry of the original author's diction and syntax. (I actually spoke with this book's translator in the course of my factchecking, and I appreciate that his work was a tremendous undertaking.) This book had an even worse effect on me than usual, though, and I don't think I can blame the translation.
This book is actually four short stories followed by a novella called "The Old Capital." The central theme of each story is memory, be it personal or national. Each story has a different protagonist, of varying genders, sexualities and stages of life, but all seem to share the same post-boomer nostalgia of Taiwan as Chinese nationalist refuge (which just happens to be the author's own identity). The stories are told in the first person, except the novella, which employs the second-person perspective (more on that later). None of the narrators are named, nor are the supporting characters, who are known by placeholder letters like A. and XX. This is a device that has always been a pet peeve of mine. I don't know if the author is trying to keep the reader's focus on the characterization and not on the easy assumption a name can sometimes invoke (a character named Bruno, for example, often carries different connotations than a character named Christian), but I actually find it more distracting, and quite alienating from the story.
The stories as a whole are full of abstractions and meditations. The protagonists spend most of their time inside their own heads, which makes not only for a boring read but also for unlikable characters, neurotic and self-absorbed.
The only story I actually enjoyed was the second one, "Man of La Mancha," in which a young male writer becomes obsessed with preparing for his death. More precisely, with controlling all the contingencies in the event of his sudden and unexpected expiration. In other words, taking the advice "Always wear clean underwear" to the extreme. The protagonist carefully selected the items in his wallet to reflect exactly the identity he wanted to project should he be found as a John Doe in the street; speaking of which, he deliberately plotted his daily routes so as not to accidentally pass out in front of a place of ill repute and be mistaken for a patron there. I liked this story because I found the protagonist's obsession understandable and relatable (although what that says about me is another matter), and the details were specific and tangible.
The worst story was, unfortunately, the longest, the novella "The Old Capital." Talk about a long, abstract, pretentious piece of prose. The story almost literally went nowhere. I'm about to spoil exactly what happens, which isn't saying much: A woman goes to Japan to reunite with her childhood best friend. While waiting for her friend, she wanders around the city and mopes about how much it's changed. Her friend never shows. She goes back to Taipei and mopes around that city some more about how much it's changed.
The lack of plot was obnoxious, but not as infuriating as the whiny protagonist. This is where the decision to employ the second-person voice gets intriguing. Was my reaction and judgment of the character harsher because she was projected onto me? I couldn't respect her clinginess to the past, to an old friend ("A." again) who had obviously moved on long ago, her stubborn refusal to consider progress in change.
I don't really like reading translated texts; there is almost always a sense of detachment from the material, a suspicion that some understanding is amiss. I wonder how much subtext is absent, lament my inability to appreciate the artistry of the original author's diction and syntax. (I actually spoke with this book's translator in the course of my factchecking, and I appreciate that his work was a tremendous undertaking.) This book had an even worse effect on me than usual, though, and I don't think I can blame the translation.
This book is actually four short stories followed by a novella called "The Old Capital." The central theme of each story is memory, be it personal or national. Each story has a different protagonist, of varying genders, sexualities and stages of life, but all seem to share the same post-boomer nostalgia of Taiwan as Chinese nationalist refuge (which just happens to be the author's own identity). The stories are told in the first person, except the novella, which employs the second-person perspective (more on that later). None of the narrators are named, nor are the supporting characters, who are known by placeholder letters like A. and XX. This is a device that has always been a pet peeve of mine. I don't know if the author is trying to keep the reader's focus on the characterization and not on the easy assumption a name can sometimes invoke (a character named Bruno, for example, often carries different connotations than a character named Christian), but I actually find it more distracting, and quite alienating from the story.
The stories as a whole are full of abstractions and meditations. The protagonists spend most of their time inside their own heads, which makes not only for a boring read but also for unlikable characters, neurotic and self-absorbed.
The only story I actually enjoyed was the second one, "Man of La Mancha," in which a young male writer becomes obsessed with preparing for his death. More precisely, with controlling all the contingencies in the event of his sudden and unexpected expiration. In other words, taking the advice "Always wear clean underwear" to the extreme. The protagonist carefully selected the items in his wallet to reflect exactly the identity he wanted to project should he be found as a John Doe in the street; speaking of which, he deliberately plotted his daily routes so as not to accidentally pass out in front of a place of ill repute and be mistaken for a patron there. I liked this story because I found the protagonist's obsession understandable and relatable (although what that says about me is another matter), and the details were specific and tangible.
The worst story was, unfortunately, the longest, the novella "The Old Capital." Talk about a long, abstract, pretentious piece of prose. The story almost literally went nowhere. I'm about to spoil exactly what happens, which isn't saying much: A woman goes to Japan to reunite with her childhood best friend. While waiting for her friend, she wanders around the city and mopes about how much it's changed. Her friend never shows. She goes back to Taipei and mopes around that city some more about how much it's changed.
The lack of plot was obnoxious, but not as infuriating as the whiny protagonist. This is where the decision to employ the second-person voice gets intriguing. Was my reaction and judgment of the character harsher because she was projected onto me? I couldn't respect her clinginess to the past, to an old friend ("A." again) who had obviously moved on long ago, her stubborn refusal to consider progress in change.
April 26, 2020
I found The Old Capital itself a frustrating read; what am I supposed to feel about all these streets and buildings I've never known? But the short stories were excellent, especially Hungarian Water. Do I have a smell like that?
July 24, 2024
This book was REALLY such a pain to get through, and if it were not for my thesis research I would have abandoned it sometime early on. I understand that there are different conventions in Taiwanese / Chinese language literature, but I really just don't get how someone would find this book enjoyable — the first four stories are essentially just a series of philosophical ponderings in the context of long dialogue or simple ruminations (with no character development or plot points to shape the ponderings), and the novella (which is really what I was examining) was just this sad woman reminiscing about Taipei and how much it has changed. Each short story and the novella were so repetitive and had no clear structure, and at many points during the novella Zhu Tianxin was just listing off addresses.
I think that for the purposes of my thesis, the novella is a really interesting display of nostalgia and place, palimpsestic urban histories, and comparative frameworks to assess the quality/life of a city (Kyoto VS Taipei). The listing of addresses and places and all of the changes that occurred is also worthy of investigation.
So from an academic perspective, this book is a really interesting piece of media, especially the novella. But from an entertainment perspective, this book is really boring, repetitive, and dry, without any clear character relationships or development, and without any clear structure or overarching plot. I am glad this is the final fiction book I am analyzing for my thesis, because I honestly haven't greatly enjoyed any of the books I've selected and wonder if it is because of Taiwanese 90s literature conventions. For the sake of Taiwanese literature I do hope there are more enjoyable books out there, or maybe for my sake, I hope that I come to understand the value of these conventions one day.
I think that for the purposes of my thesis, the novella is a really interesting display of nostalgia and place, palimpsestic urban histories, and comparative frameworks to assess the quality/life of a city (Kyoto VS Taipei). The listing of addresses and places and all of the changes that occurred is also worthy of investigation.
So from an academic perspective, this book is a really interesting piece of media, especially the novella. But from an entertainment perspective, this book is really boring, repetitive, and dry, without any clear character relationships or development, and without any clear structure or overarching plot. I am glad this is the final fiction book I am analyzing for my thesis, because I honestly haven't greatly enjoyed any of the books I've selected and wonder if it is because of Taiwanese 90s literature conventions. For the sake of Taiwanese literature I do hope there are more enjoyable books out there, or maybe for my sake, I hope that I come to understand the value of these conventions one day.
June 22, 2019
4 stories and a novella. The stories were very hit or miss. The first one was probably my favorite.
As for the novella, I feel like only a Waishengren （外省人）would really appreciate it. And even then, only one who grew up between the 60's and 80's (or thereabouts, I guess). On the other hand, I think it could be of great interest to historians interested in recent Taipei history. She seems to go through the changes of Taipei, from post Japanese conquest to post-Chiang Kai shek (or thereabouts) in great detail. I tried to follow some of the addresses mentioned, but nothing seems to resemble her description anymore. The style seems to be very stream of consciousness / Mrs. Dalloway-style, although much of it is in the 2nd person, which always strikes me as odd.
Also, I just wanted to point out that Lane 10, Section 3 of Zhongxiao East Road is NOT parallel to Jinan road!
Also also, and this is probably just because my family is from Florence. But the church in Florence with the Brunelleschi dome isn't the "St. Florence Church", and the Arno river isn't outside the city.
http://4201mass.blogspot.com/
As for the novella, I feel like only a Waishengren （外省人）would really appreciate it. And even then, only one who grew up between the 60's and 80's (or thereabouts, I guess). On the other hand, I think it could be of great interest to historians interested in recent Taipei history. She seems to go through the changes of Taipei, from post Japanese conquest to post-Chiang Kai shek (or thereabouts) in great detail. I tried to follow some of the addresses mentioned, but nothing seems to resemble her description anymore. The style seems to be very stream of consciousness / Mrs. Dalloway-style, although much of it is in the 2nd person, which always strikes me as odd.
Also, I just wanted to point out that Lane 10, Section 3 of Zhongxiao East Road is NOT parallel to Jinan road!
Also also, and this is probably just because my family is from Florence. But the church in Florence with the Brunelleschi dome isn't the "St. Florence Church", and the Arno river isn't outside the city.
http://4201mass.blogspot.com/
August 20, 2019
The short stories bear the limitations of the genre and are told from the point of view of a grant-earning and prize-winning professional writer, which also seems limiting.
The title novella compares Taipei with Kyoto, suggesting that the former is subject to constant degradation and disfigurement and that the latter is truly changeless. It soon degenerates into a walk through Taipei, using old Japanese names for its streets and neighborhoods, which might not float everybody's boat. The subplot (or plot) involving the narrator's childhood friend 'A' abruptly dead-ends when A doesn't show up for a reunion. A is shown to be a symbol of all that is lost to time (as is much of Taipei), or perhaps she is the younger version of the narrator.
The translation is competent, but the imprecision of the original Chinese, especially with regard to verb tense, is frustrating. Describing two separate trips to Kyoto taken by the narrator, one with her daughter and one without, the daughter seems to show up and disappear from sentence to sentence.
Actually the 'narrator' is not the protagonist, as the story is told in the second person, making 'you' the protagonist.
The title novella compares Taipei with Kyoto, suggesting that the former is subject to constant degradation and disfigurement and that the latter is truly changeless. It soon degenerates into a walk through Taipei, using old Japanese names for its streets and neighborhoods, which might not float everybody's boat. The subplot (or plot) involving the narrator's childhood friend 'A' abruptly dead-ends when A doesn't show up for a reunion. A is shown to be a symbol of all that is lost to time (as is much of Taipei), or perhaps she is the younger version of the narrator.
The translation is competent, but the imprecision of the original Chinese, especially with regard to verb tense, is frustrating. Describing two separate trips to Kyoto taken by the narrator, one with her daughter and one without, the daughter seems to show up and disappear from sentence to sentence.
Actually the 'narrator' is not the protagonist, as the story is told in the second person, making 'you' the protagonist.
December 22, 2018
Book is four short pieces and a novella. The translator's note says that the short pieces are short stories but the first three read more like essays to me, in the style of Phillip Lopate - wandering around, interrogating everyday surroundings and everyday situations with a calm, thoughtful eye. The plots of the four pieces + the novella are all very boring, but I didn't mind at all because I loved the descriptions and the tranquility of the writing.
April 11, 2020
I could barely get through this book — it was a lot of meandering and stream-of-consciousness style writing, and it was pretty much just tedious to read until this girl in my class gave a presentation on how the character representated that of the flaneur (wanderer, memory) as a form of political dissent.
The other short stories, like Breakfast at Tiffany's, was more likable for me, but even then there's been other pieces of this writing by this author that I preferred.
The other short stories, like Breakfast at Tiffany's, was more likable for me, but even then there's been other pieces of this writing by this author that I preferred.
February 14, 2024
I read this in 2008. It wasn't what I was expecting.
October 4, 2014
This book is interesting and very postmodern. I'm not so familiar with postmodernism, so I found it kind of hard to follow. It will also be hard to follow if you're not very familiar with Taiwan. I know very little about Taiwan other than basic history, and so I was often lost or missing out on references. If you're from Taiwan or very interested in it or in the city Taipei then I recommend this book.
Want to read
May 11, 2014
Want to read
November 4, 2014Recommended by an English literature student from Taiwan
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews