Frontier (novel)
Frontier is a novel by Chinese avant-garde writer Can Xue.[1] Set primarily in a location known as Pebble Town, it follows the misadventures of a group of loosely related characters that seem to be wandering in and out of each other's dreams.[2] Each character seems to have arrived in Pebble Town for a different reason, and many are connected to an organization known as the Design Institute.[3]
First published in China in 2008,[4] Open Letter Books published an English translation by Karen Gernant and Chen Zeping in 2017.[5]
Characters
The characters featured in the novel include:
Qiming — The lovesick custodian at the Design Institute who obsesses over a Uighur woman he once met.[6]
Liujin — A character who lives alone and sells cloth at the market.[6]
Marco — The only major character actually born in Pebble Town. Marco is obsessed with Holland.[7]
Juan and Nancy — A married couple who travel to Pebble Town from Smoke City.[6]
Ying — The only black man living in Pebble Town.[6]
References
- DeMarco, Amanda. "Xue Generis: Can Xue and the Dangers of Literary Exceptionalism -BLARB". BLARB.
- LaRue, Madeleine (4 August 2017). "A Pattern of Freedom: On Can Xue's 'Frontier' - The Millions". The Millions.
- James, Evan (8 June 2017). "The Mysterious Frontiers of Can Xue". The New Yorker.
- Beck, Melissa (21 April 2017). "Frontier by Can Xue". World Literature Today.
- Morse, Canaan. "Can Xue's Frontier". Music & Literature.
- El-Mohtar, Amal. "Find Your Way Across This Misty, Mysterious 'Frontier'". NPR.org.
- Schutt, Marie. "Review: Can Xue's FRONTIER". Liminoid Magazine.