Description
A man with a dubious credential returns to Shanghai and, in the orbit of two sharply contrasting women, finds his carefully arranged life unraveling into farce, longing, and bitter self-recognition. As he navigates the social machinery of education, marriage, and ambition, the novel turns everyday encounters into a witty picaresque journey through modern Chinese aspirations and their hidden costs. With Qian Zhongshu’s signature erudition and razor-edged satire, *Fortress Besieged* skewers the pretensions of status and the illusions of “arrival,” asking what people truly seek when they chase belonging. Blending comedy with cultural critique, it stands as a landmark of twentieth-century Chinese literature—beloved for its delightfully crafted prose and its enduring insight into what China endured on the way to its future.
Available Editions
paperback
Penguin Books, Limited
Published Jan 1, 2006
448 pages
ISBN: 9780141187860
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Details
First Published
2005
Language
eng
Translation
From: chi
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Fortress Besieged by Qian Zhongshu.