Orphan of Asia
Zhuoliu Wu
Columbia University Press
<P>Born in Japanese-occupied Taiwan, raised in the scholarly traditions of ancient China by his grandfather but forced into the Japanese educational system, Hu Taiming, the protagonist of <I>Orphan of Asia</I>, ultimately finds himself estranged from all three cultures. Wu's autobiographical novel, completed in 1945, is widely regarded as a classic of modern Asian literature and a groundbreaking expression of the postwar Taiwanese national consciousness. Originally written in Japanese and now translated into English for the first time, <I>Orphan of Asia</I> offers a powerful depiction of the political, cultural, and psychological impact of colonialism.</p><P> <I>Orphan of Asia</I> begins during Taiming's childhood in Taiwan, which has been annexed to Japan only recently. Taiming eventually makes his mark in the colonial Japanese educational system and graduates from a prestigious college. However, he finds that his Japanese education and his adoption of modern ways have alienated him...</P></P>