A Personal Bible

Pride of the Chinese-speaking world, a contemporary classic.
The classic work by Gao Xingjian, winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Literature, a global bestseller with over a million copies sold.
20th-anniversary edition, including the author's preface for the first time in Chinese.

"You are not a dragon, not a worm, neither this nor that. That which is not, is you. That 'not' is not a negation; rather, it is a realization, a trace, an expenditure, an outcome. Before exhaustion, before death, you are merely a message of life, a performance and utterance for that which is not.

You wrote this book for yourself, this book of escape, your personal bible. You are your own God and apostle. If you do not sacrifice yourself for others, then do not ask others to sacrifice themselves for you; that is only fair. Everyone desires happiness, but how can it all belong to you? Know that there is not much happiness in this world to begin with."

One Man's Bible is another representative masterpiece by Gao Xingjian, following the sensation caused by the French translation of Soul Mountain in French literary circles.

The protagonists "he" and "you" in the book are the same person; the former's nightmarish recollections in mainland China are contrasted with the latter's wanderings and musings in the West. It is also the inner confession and declaration of a world wanderer without a homeland or ideology at the end of this century. The writing is stark and deeply moving.

This novel spans from China to the West, from a hellish reality to the human world, touching upon various dilemmas faced by people living in both Eastern and Western societies in the current era. Titled One Man's Bible, it tells how a vulnerable individual can be liberated from predicament. The title carries many meanings. This book, this bible, is not a model intended to educate all humanity; it appeals solely to one person, or, as you please, it merely reflects the emotions of a solitary individual.