英文摘要 |
Chan Koon-chung's (1952- ) first full-length novel, Times of Prosperity: China, 2013, was published in 2009, nine years after the Hong Kong writer settled in Beijing. The novel cements Chan's status in Hong Kong literature, but it is also a source of controversy. As a writer who, since 2000, has spent so little time in Hong Kong and written very few works set in the city, under what understanding can Chan and his works be defined as part of Hong Kong literature? This paper aims to reinterpret Times of Prosperity through multiple reading dimensions. This paper first investigates the idea of ''Hong Kong'' in Times of Prosperity through textual analysis and how such analysis is integral in the significance and interpretation of Times of Prosperity as part of Hong Kong literature. This paper then reinterprets the key plot points and the creative motives of the novel by means of uncovering its subtle meanings and intertextual connections. Finally, this paper situates Times of Prosperity in Chan's nearly 40-year writing career, exploring how the novel reflects his consistently anti-authoritarian thinking as a Hong Kong culturati, as well as his lifelong cultural stance and challenges encountered as a ''left-wing liberal intellectual.'' |