The ten thousand things by john spurling 2014, hardcover. Though he wonders about his own complicity wit this regimethe mongols, after all, are invadershe prefers not to dwell o. In the ten thousand things john spurling seamlessly fuses the epic and the intimate with the precision and depth that the reallife wang meng brought to his painting. The daily mail in this immersive tale of a landscape artists life, written with restrained lyricism, john spurling has also given us an entertaining and insightful study about the art of. A novel of fated meetings, grand battles and riveting drama, in the ten thousand things john spurling seamlessly fuses the epic and the intimate with the precision and depth that the reallife wang meng brought to his painting. The ten thousand things is rich with exquisite observations, and john spurling endows every description, every detail, with the precision and depth that the reallife wang meng brought to his painting. Read the ten thousand things a novel by john spurling available from rakuten kobo.
In the ten thousand things, john spurling endows every description every detail with the precision and depth that the reallife wang meng brought to his painting. An illustration of daoist philosophy, this elegant. The ten thousand things by john spurling overdrive. The ten thousand things is a wonderfully evocative, historical fiction novel about the world of yuan dynasty ancient china, the life of protagonist literati painter wang meng who is descended from the song dynasty royal family through his mother, his family, friends, and acquaintances, as well as the rampant rebellionspolitical strife going on during the period of the fall of one. But it is also a novel of fated meetings, grand battles, and riveting drama, and in its seamless fusion of the epic and the intimate, it. It was published by duckworth overlook in 2014 and won the walter scott prize in 2015.
The ten thousand things is rich with exquisite observations, and john spurling endows every descriptionevery detailwith the precision and depth that the reallife wang meng brought to. The ten thousand things john spurling like all the best historical fiction, reading the ten thousand things, is a tactile immersion into an unfamiliar time and place leaving a lasting impression of an atmosphere and culture. John spurling ja the ten thousand things ja the walter. Ten thousand theater artists share insights check out interviews, messages of hope, and more inspiration in these videos. Author of the ten thousand things, john spurling tells us about his favourite books about china. Spurling includes a painting by wang as a frontispiece to the book, which ive reproduced here, and which plays a. The ten thousand things is a historical novel by author and playwright john spurling, based on life of thcentury chinese artist wang meng during the yuan dynasty. Ttt shares important information about this season and next. Although it came out three years ago, i thought it worth a second look as a piece of historical fiction on the life of renowned chinese ink painter wang meng who lived during the yuan dynasty early th century to 68. The ten thousand things john spurling 9780715647318.
John spurling born 17 july 1936 is a kenyanenglish playwright and author who has written thirty plays and four books. The beauty of john spurlings novel is that it is at once an incredibly detailed story and a sweeping view of the times. Rich with exquisite observations and thrilling action, the ten thousand things brings the past to vivid, resonant life. Spurling worked on the book for over fifteen years and in the process his work was rejected by 44 publishers. The ten thousand things has the sort of sensual prose that makes the reader purr with delight and is surely destined to be one of the books of the year. The ten thousand things by john spurling nook book. The ten thousand things winner of the walter scott prize. John spurlings top 5 books about china the bookseller. The ten thousand things is rich with exquisite observations, and john spurling endows every descriptionevery detailwith the precision and depth that the reallife wang meng brought to his painting. The ten thousand things by john spurling long ago and. In the ten thousand things, john spurling endows every description with the presision and depth that the reallife wang meng brought to his painting. The ten thousand things john spurling duckworth about the author john spurling is an awardwinning author and a prolific playwright, whose plays have been performed on television, radio and stage, including at the national theatre. The ten thousand things by john spurling overlook 4. A vivid evocation of a turbulent era with echoes of debates today about loyalty, choices and artistic integrity rana mitter, author of forgotten ally and presenter of free thinking i was amazed by the ten thousand things, and by john spurlings powerful imagination with ten thousand details, he has brought the ancient chinese artist wang.
The ten thousand things is the story of a chinese artist in the 14 th century. Read it now enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download. The narrative follows the life of an artist, wang meng, whose work is on display today in museums across the world. John spurlings historical novel the ten thousand things, explores these questions through the life of a historical figure of that period, wang meng, an artist of considerable talent who also occasionally served as a magistrate.
He went on to say that whilst in hospital recovering from injury, this was the only book the only book. With this richly told historical novel, english author spurling a book of liszts, 2011, etc. John spurlings new novel, winner of the walter scott prize john spurlings enchanting the ten thousand things takes place in 14thcentury china, during the final years of the mongolruled yuan dynasty. John spurlings top 5 books about china published april 16, 2014 by john spurling. Looking through this blog i was appalled to find that i never wrote u. The ten thousand things is not unlike a beautiful wang meng landscape painting. Just as a master painter of yore would define a landscape in sweeping strokes of his brush and draw the eye to some intricate detail, so john. Midlife crisis, thcentury style the spectator australia.
Ten thousand things joins jubilee festival the yearlong, nationwide festival features work of artists who have historically been excluded. The ten thousand things is a historical novel by author and playwright john spurling, based on life of thcentury chinese artist wang meng during the yuan. Combining the delicacy of an old chinese landscape painting with the brutality of chinese. My interest was piqued when, on a two week internship at duckworth and overlook press, i heard the managing director call this book exquisite. In that time, as the emperors power dwindled, china was plunged into a protracted civil war between. The ten thousand things by john spurling goodreads. But it is also a novel of fated meetings, grand battles and riveting drama, and in its seamless fusion of the epic and the intimate, it deserves to be compared to the classic. John spurlings enchanting the ten thousand things takes place in 14thcentury china, during the final years of the mongolruled yuan dynasty. John spurlings historical novel the ten thousand things, explores these questions through the life of a historical figure of that period, wang.
The beauty of john spurling s novel is that it is at once an incredibly detailed story and a sweeping view of the times. The ten thousand things follows wang meng, an extraordinarily gifted artist, as he travels through an empire in turmoil it might have been the ancient greek philosopher socrates who once said that an unexamined life is not worth living, but his lessons are remarkably well applied in the novel, the ten thousand things, set in 14thcentury china author john spurling has modeled his fictional. In the turbulent final years of the yuan dynasty, wang meng is a lowlevel bureaucrat employed by the government of mongol conquerors established by the kublai khan. This intricately wrought study of medieval chinese scholarartists is wonderfully well imagined. Please read our short guide how to send a book to kindle. The first meet the authors event of 2015 will feature john spurling introducing his novel the ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things by john spurling, 9781468310122, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. That was a turbulent century all over the world, but especially in china, where. The ten thousand things new york public library overdrive. It deals with chinese politics, religion, art, and philosophy in economical and accessible prose. The ten thousand things meets the challenge simply by telling a straightforward story and leaving the fortune cookies behind. Spurlings ten thousand things wins walter scott prize. In the turbulent final years of the yuan dynasty, wang meng is a lowlevel bureaucrat, employed by. Wang meng is descended from an emperor yet is content to support himself and his wife with a minor bureaucratic post in the yuan dynasty. It is during this period that the events described in john spurlings book, ten thousand things take place. He is a fellow of the royal society of literature and the husband of hilary spurling. Outside of his publications, spurling held various positions between the 1960s to 1980s. Of his written works, spurling won the 2015 walter scott prize for the ten thousand things.
In the ten thousand things john spurling seamlessly fuses the epic and the intimate with the precision and depth that the reallife wang meng brought to his. The ten thousand things isbn 9781468308327 pdf epub john. Through john spurlings writing you feel as though you are reading wang mengs paintings as he created them. Combining the delicacy of an old chinese landscape painting with the brutality of chinese history, spurlings novel follows the wanderings of. John spurling in the turbulent final years of the yuan dynasty, wang meng is a lowlevel bureaucrat, employed by the government of mongol conquerors established by the kublai khan. Just as a master painter of yore would define a landscape in sweeping strokes of. John spurling s new novel, winner of the walter scott prize john spurling s enchanting the ten thousand things takes place in 14thcentury china, during the final years of the mongolruled yuan dynasty. With this richly told historical novel, english author spurling a book of. By using wangs life as a focus, spurling gives readers insight into. But it is also a novel of fated meetings, grand battles, and riveting drama, and in its seamless fusion of the epic and the intimate, it achieves. Winner of the walter scott prize for historical fiction 2015, the ten thousand things takes us on a journey across fated meetings, grand battles and riveting drama. In the turbulent final years of the yuan dynasty, wang. What better book to kick us off than john spurlings hidden gemofanovel the ten thousand things. In the turbulent final years of the yuan dynasty, wang meng is a lowlevel bureaucrat, employed by the government of mongol conquerors established by the kublai khan.
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