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Book Recommendation
Just a couple months ago I was asking people what the best books on Taiwan are. I had never read anything other than a guidebook on the country, and wanted to know where to start. I didn’t get much advice. Then, just like magic, this book appeared.
It’s a brilliant concept: introducing a country via 100 examples of its best literature. But the book was not, thankfully, what I expected. The title suggests that maybe it contains 100 book reviews, or a listing of 100 book summaries, but it’s not an academic reference book. It’s a story that threads together titles, plots and real events designed to lead the reader down a trail of literature through the soul of the island. And Ross doesn’t just stop there; he delves into who the authors are and the stories behind their books. The 100 publications range from historical narratives to travelogues, short essays on tribal communities to longer tomes on religion, food, love and the occult. There are classics and up to the moment memoirs, e-books and print.
The texts are the author’s personal picks and not taken from best-seller lists so you feel you’re getting inside information from a true bibliophile who has lived in Taiwan for decades. I appreciate this because being able to separate the wheat from the chaff is difficult for a newbie reader on an unfamiliar country. I also appreciated Ross’s eye for what makes a beautiful book. I had read John Ross’s previous book, You Don’t Know China: 22 Enduring Myths Debunked, so I was ready to jump into this one with confidence.
You’re bound to finish Taiwan in 100 Books with a dozen or so intriguing titles for your TBR list–I know I did!