A collection of six unforgettable stories from Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian. Dealing with Gao's trademark themes of relationships, family, the political scene in China and exploration of the self, these stories are by turns moving, beautiful and thought-provoking. With the exception of 'In an Instant', all the stories were written in China in the early 1980s and published in Chinese in a collection called Gei wo laoye mai yugan (Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather) by Lianhe Press in taipei 1989. 'In an Instant' was written in Paris in October 1990 but not published until 1996 in the collection Zhoumo sichongzhou, after Soul Mountain had been published in early 1990. this is the perfect first taste of the work of Gao Xingjian - short, sweet and highly accessible - something for those who have heard about the author but are unsure where to start.