The Invisibility Cloak, by Ge Fei

[Trevor]

The Invisibility Cloak



Publication Date: October 11, 2016
Pages: 120
Translated from the Chinese by Canaan Morse.

The hero of The Invisibility Cloak lives in contemporary Beijing, where everyone is doing his best to hustle up the ladder of success while shouldering an ever-growing burden of consumer goods, and he’s a loser. Well into his forties, he’s divorced (and still doting on his ex), childless, living with his sister (her husband wants him out) in an apartment at the edge of town with a crack in the wall the wind from the north blows through while he gets by, just, by making customized old-fashioned amplifiers for the occasional rich audio-obsessive. He has contempt for his clients and contempt for himself. The only things he really likes are Beethoven and vintage speakers. Then an old friend tips him off about a special job—a little risky but just don’t ask too many questions—and can it really be that this hopeless loser wins?

This provocative and seriously funny exercise in the social fantastic by the brilliantly original Ge Fei, one of China’s finest living writers, is among the most original works of fiction to come out of China in recent years. This is the first appearance of any of Ge Fei’s work in English and is sure to appeal to readers of Haruki Murakami and other fabulists of contemporary irreality.

[Trevor]

In trying to find out what year this book was originally published (which I haven't solidified yet, but maybe 2012 (when I know I'll include it above)), I came across this account of a first reading by translator Canaan Morse that I thought was interesting. I'm glad he got to translate the book!

[Trevor]

Here's another link. Morse won the Susan Sontag Translation Prize 2014 for his sample translation of this book. So, congratulations to him, and I can't wait to read what he's done!

[Samuel]

Has there ever been a precedent where NYRB published a book that was released only 4 years prior? It makes me wonder whether there's a shift from publishing neglected classics to translating contemporary authors who are little known outside their countries of origin...

[Rebecca]

An article written by Moorse before he was appointed as the translator gives some background & description. I'm excited to read it!

[Rebecca]

Samuel wrote: "It makes me wonder whether there's a shift from publishing neglected classics to translating contemporary authors who are little known outside their countries of origin... "

Not that it needs to be one or the other, but I would definitely welcome a move to publish more (recent) translated works

[Samuel]

Don't get me wrong, I would welcome it as well, but it's just that I've always dreadded the day when NYRB would run out of neglected gems to publish! Probably just an irrational fear...

[Rebecca]

Yes hopefully that won't happen for a while yet!

[Trevor]

Samuel wrote: "Has there ever been a precedent where NYRB published a book that was released only 4 years prior? It makes me wonder whether there's a shift from publishing neglected classics to translating contem..."

I'm sure the day when they don't have any more overlooked gems will never come -- and I guess if it does we should be happy all of the treasures out there are available :-) . But I certainly wouldn't hold this particular book up as a sign of the times. This is not the first time something like this has happened.

When it comes to literature in translation in particular, sometimes NYRB Classics puts out a recent title or one that has never been published in English before. One of the Modianos they're putting out in March was originally published in 2007. Magda Szabo's The Door, which surprised me by being a NYT top ten book of 2015, was originally published in 1995 1987 [*edited due to an error]. Tatyana Tolstaya's The Slynx was originally published in 2000 before coming to NYRB Classics in 2007. This can also happen with English-language titles, though the circumstances are usually different: Hav of the Myrmidons was first published in 2006 before being published, along with its predecessor in one volume, by NYRB Classics in 2011.

In some special cases, though admittedly ones that probably fit more in line with what we think of as an "overlooked classic," a book may get its first publication anywhere in any language under the NYRB Classics imprint: Béla Zombory-Moldován's The Burning of the World was first published in any language by NYRB Classics in 2015; Sanford Friedman's Conversations with Beethoven, though English, was still only first published by anyone in 2014.

I know there are not many examples, and each has its own unique circumstances, but I think that in and of itself should offer comfort for anyone worrying that they're running out of options :-) . I sure hope that isn't the case!

[Trevor]

I misspoke above: The Door was not originally published in 1995. It was published in Hungarian in 1987. I edited the post above to note the error.

[Trevor]

Cover now up!

[Trevor]

Description added.

[Lois]

I'm obviously getting to this a bit late, but I've been really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available for Kindle (at least not in my country), so I've been putting off ordering the paperback ... Has anyone got around to reading it yet?

By the way - very impressive knowledge of NYRB classics history, Trevor!

[Trish]

Lois wrote: "Has anyone got around to reading it yet?.."

I just finished it. It's marvelous. Review upcoming. Has a bit of horror and mystery going on. It almost has the range of a short story, but within it are the most wonderful and funny observations about the human condition: "Familial love...was basically just a thin sheet of ice floating on open water. As long as you don't poke it with a stick or throw a stone on it, it would stay unbroken. But as soon as you put a foot down on it to test its strength, it would shatter."

Review up here.