Book list

Under the influence of globalization, are cities all over the world, especially those big cities, gradually converging? The following writers find another way to take you into this city and approach our most familiar strangers from the most personal point of view.

Walking in Tokyo

[France] Florin Xia Fuai/with; Li Wei/translation; Nanhai Publishing Company; 2020-8

[France] Florin Xia Fuai/with; Li Wei/translation; Nanhai Publishing Company; 2020-8

In 2006, French writer Floran Shafue went to Tokyo for training with his girlfriend Claire, and then she came to Tokyo to rent it and started her six-month stay in Tokyo.

Riding a bicycle and carrying a folding chair, he set off for the asphalt road of the city and began a romantic journey. From Ikebukuro to Omotesando Hills Mountain, and then to Shibuya, grotesque buildings, ancient buildings hiding street corners, summer festivals in Okubo, pedestrians wearing strange clothes ... Through delicate and childlike observation, he captured his ridiculous experience and life details with crayons and drew a Tokyo different from ordinary people's eyes.

Details in Chafue's works

Xia Fuai has never let go of every corner of daily life: the lamp bought in the handicraft hall, the ice cream eaten in the convenience store, the fountain pen selected in the department store, the apples sold in the fruit shop ... He painted serious wage earners, high school students who love to put on airs, beautiful women who love to show off, ladies who sell Osaka roast, rented apartments, cafes, hamburgers, udon noodle shops, hair salons and so on.

Hand-drawn maps of various areas in the book can make you more eye-opening and jaw-dropping. No wonder Xia Fuai was suspected as a spy by the police and was detained for a long time.

temple

In the book, the author said that the Tokyo shown in this book, with the feelings nourished by my daily life here, is sorry that it cannot represent everyone's perspective. Therefore, this is not a pure travel guide, nor an adventure book, but a wonderful life in Tokyo recorded by a writer with a colorful brush. He used a different French perspective to match what he saw and heard with vivid and interesting words, showing the unique humanistic charm of Tokyo. This book won the Ptolemy Prize at the French International Geography Festival.

City of myth

schi lude/with； Beth? Beijing United Publishing Company; 2020-6

schi lude/with； Beth? Beijing United Publishing Company; 2020-6

The author Schrudde is a lover of myth and history. In this book, which can be called "A Travel Manual of World Myths", she combed the genealogy of seven mythological systems and introduced myths from all over the world, such as Greek mythology, Roman mythology, Nordic mythology, Celtic mythology, Hittite mythology, Mesopotamia mythology, Indian mythology, Mayan mythology, Inca mythology, South Pacific mythology, Sami mythology, Cthulhu mythology and so on.

She does not simply repeat and introduce fairy tales, but focuses on the national history and culture related to myths, exposing the essence of myths, which is also the most attractive place of this book. The origin of myth is not in the sky, but the real myth originated in the places where people gather on the earth. When people set up cities and began to ask questions to heaven with their own actions, the myth era officially began. So all the myths written by the author revolve around the cities on the ground.

The City of Myths, recommended by the editor-in-chief of Science Fiction World, is such a novel fairy book, which is informative but not rough and difficult. It is not only suitable for myth lovers, but also for fantasy lovers and the general public. You can even think of it as a travel book to arrange your own beautiful holidays-walking around the city of myth with "The City of Myth" will not only gain more.

In particular, this book specially designed maps of countries and locations of 20 cities, and the format of 32 format is also convenient to carry around when traveling.

The Book of Venice: Lost Water City, Dream Journey

[Australia] Sophie Earleen/with; Zhu Ziyi/translation; Rip Culture Hunan Science and Technology Publishing House; 2020-7

[Australia] Sophie Earleen/with; Zhu Ziyi/translation; Rip Culture Hunan Science and Technology Publishing House; 2020-7

Venice, a water city, is a dreamland where many painters, writers and celebrities linger. Titian, Giotto and Tintoretto left her with impressive lines and shadows, while thomas mann, Kafka, Calvino, Hemingway and Acheng wrote touching chapters for her.

For Sophie Earleen, an art consultant who has lived in Venice for more than 20 years, Venice is her second hometown. She is a well-known Australian art consultant and artistic director of Leonardo Joel's auction house in Melbourne. Since her youth, she has visited Venice many times and participated in the Venice Art Biennale as a member of the Australian delegation for 20 consecutive years. She has a unique experience in Venice, especially as an art city.

Therefore, her book "The Book of Venice" takes readers on a tour of Venice's art and culture, snooping on the secrets of famous artists, enjoying the beautiful scenery, deeply feeling the historical culture and the charm of the city, and getting to know a real Venice that is not just a "tourist card office". In this book, she not only shared her understanding of romantic Venice, but also invited many famous artists to visit Venice's churches, art galleries, palaces, restaurants and shopping paradise, and found heavy paintings, ancient crafts, the enjoyment of minorities and unknown places, thus restoring a real, dreamy, classical and gorgeous Venice.

This book is accompanied by the internal strategy of the Venice Art Biennale, the ship guide and the tips of Venice Zhou Bianyou to meet all the needs of Venetian travelers.

Epic City: The Street World of Calcutta

[America] Caochuan? Chowdhury/this book; Xi Kun/translation; China Social Sciences Press; 2020-4

[America] Caochuan? Chowdhury/this book; Xi Kun/translation; China Social Sciences Press; 2020-4

It takes a lot of courage to leave home, so why not go back to China?

Kushanawa Chowdhury traveled back and forth between the United States and Calcutta with her parents many times and finally settled in the United States. After graduating from Princeton University, he resolutely returned to Calcutta and started his root-seeking journey by working for The Politician. After being defeated by powerlessness and discomfort, Chowdhury returned to the United States again. After completing his doctorate in political science at Yale University, he returned to Calcutta, a city that haunted him, and decided to settle down here and write down the story of the city.

Kolkata, the capital of British India, was once the "gateway of empire" and the largest city in Asia. It was the center of India's industrial and cultural development and gave birth to Tagore, Vivekananda and Satyagit Ray ... As a trading port established by the British on the banks of the Yokogawa River, the city was originally composed of immigrants from all over the world. People came across the ocean to form communities and settle down in this land. However, in the 2nd/kloc-0th century, the status of Kolkata was not what it used to be, and young people had to leave their homes to make a living in more developed European and American countries. Back home, Chowdhury re-examined the "son of yesterday" who was abandoned by immigrant parents and grew up between rivers and swamps in this city.

Here, while working for the local most famous English newspaper "The Politician", he shuttled to every corner of the city and wrote down the people passing by and what happened on the streets of Calcutta every day. In the book, we follow Chowdhury through the noisy street world, with him through the complicated crowd, bypassing rickshaws and integrating into local music. This is a beautiful, humorous and intelligent love letter to Calcutta, full of delicate observation. From the culture, music, movies and festivals in the city to the people and food in the city, the rhythm of the city is perfectly reflected in the details.

Chowdhury's narrative style is witty and sharp, and there is no lack of beauty. In his works, we can see Calcutta and even present it as a surprise gift. For example, he will write passionate writers from all walks of life, underground magazines in Bengali, literary parties, second-hand bookstores in Xueyuan Street, and the original charm of Calcutta hidden behind a series of vivid literary scenes: dialogue, reading and poetry. Old-school social and entertainment methods are still respected in this city, but they have not completely given way to electronic display screens, the Internet and TV programs, which are probably the easiest to find in this city and are also scarce in the whole era.

This is a fairy tale about Calcutta, and it is also a cultural intermediary's account of his immigration and homesickness. It not only reflects the face of a city, but also reflects the entanglement between individuals and the city.

Proofreading: Liu Wei