Book Review of Chiu Kuei-fen's The Global Path of Taiwanese Literature

Abstract

<p>The Global Path of Taiwanese Literature (2023) represents the culmination of Chiu Kuei-Fen’s extensive scholarly dedication to the exploration of indigeneity and global concerns within Taiwanese literature. It stands as an exemplary work within the field of Taiwanese literary research. The book raises a fundamental yet significant question: in today’s globalized society, how can Taiwanese literature, as a non-Western dominant literary tradition, facilitate greater access for non-Chinese readers beyond Taiwan to engage with its literary offerings? Comprised of six chapters, the book delves into a range of topics. Chapter One elucidates why Taiwanese literature aligns with Casanova’s notion of“small literature.”Chapter Two, the book’s most theoretically rich chapter, critically examines research paradigms such as“World Chinese Literature,”“Sinophone Literature,”and“World Literature.”Chapter Three explores the cosmopolitanism inherent in Taiwanese literature in the new century. Chapter Four, utilizing the writings of Wu Ming-Yi as a case study, analyzes how Taiwanese literature, as a“small literature,”can be embraced by English-speaking readers. The final two chapters extend the inquiry beyond conventional print literature, examining the feasibility and limitations of mediums such as the documentary Le Moulin and Ng Kim Chew’s concept of the“Republic of Southern Sinophone Literature.”This book not only invites a reexamination of the“big”and“small”debates within the global literary landscape, but also provokes contemplation regarding the diverse literary factions within Taiwan’s internal literary system.</p>

《台灣文學的世界之路》（2023）是邱貴芬對台灣文學本土性的生產和世界性課題的長期學術關懷的匯總。對台灣文學研究來說，是部拋磚引玉的範例。此書叩問了一個簡單但十分重要的課題，即在全球化席捲的當今社會，作為非西方強勢語種的台灣文學，如何能讓更多台灣之外的非中文讀者接觸到來自台灣的文學。全書分為六章。第一章梳理台灣文學為何符合 Casanova 的世界文學理論中的「小文學」（small literature）。全書理論性最鮮明的第二章回顧「世界華文文學」、「華語語系文學」、「世界文學」的研究模式。第三章論述了新世紀台灣文學的世界感（cosmopolitanism）。第四章則以吳明益為例，縷析台灣文學作為「小文學」，如何讓英語世界的讀者接納。最後兩章將探討的範疇延伸到非傳統紙本文學的其他媒介，分析紀錄片《日曜日式散步者》與黃錦樹「南方華文文學共和國」概念的可操作性和侷限。這本專著不僅引導重審世界文學體系裡的「大」「小」之辯，亦開啟台灣內部文學體系內部，如何看待諸多文學板塊的反思。