I walked into Standford University bookstore on Sunday afternoon and saw the translation of 'Diary of a Madman'. I flipped through the pages and saw the short story 'Ah Q - real story' so I grabbed one book just to see the translation. As a student grew up in Taiwan, I knew Lu Xun's stories in Chinese well in high school. Actually even some of his work was in high school Chinese Literature curriculum. But I could not put it down until I finished reading the translation of 'Ah Q - real story'.

It is really a masterpiece in translation. The translator is both master in Chinese and English. I like the introductions, a foreigner's introduction about an author is more in reality, dealing both success and failure of Mr. Lu's life. Besides, as the translator said he tried to imagine what Mr. Lu would said if his native language is English. He really captured the essence of it. I really like it. It is a great way to know English style from an Engineer major point of view.

In this book by Lu xun, a greatest Chinese fiction writer in the history, you will see some influence from Russian literature, such as Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy, yet Lu xun manages to keep the Chinese atmosphere by the vivid descriptions on things he sees in China. "Diary of a Madman" is absolutely wonderful. Comparing it to Gogol's story of "Diary of a Madman" it is interesting how Lu xun explores the reality in such a different way from Gogol and still cuts one side of humanity open to the readers. If you like Chinese poetry, this book by Lu xun is a must! It's nothing like any novels written by Chinese Americans because you feel the sense of China in his stories while you can relate to all the characters' mental pain and suffer through his gorgeous language. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy ethnic literature, Russian literature, and Chinese poetry, or those who simply enjoy literature.