Fortress Besieged

Set on the eve of the Sino-Japanese war, Fortress Besieged recounts the exuberant misadventures of the hapless hero Fang Hung-chien, who after aimlessly studying in Europe at his family`s expense returns to Shanghai armed with a bogus degree from a fake university . On the liner back, Fang`s life becomes deeply entangled with those of two Chinese beauties - while when he does finally make it h ome, he obtains a teaching post at a newly established university, encounters effete pseudo-intellectuals, and falls into a marriage of disastrous proportions. A glorious tale of love, marriage, war, calamity, disillusionment and hope, this is one of the greatest Chinese novels: combining Eastern philosophy, Western traditions, adventure, tragicomedy and satire to create a unique feast of de lights.

• author: Qian Zhongshu