Qian Zhongshu was a Chinese literary scholar and writer, renowned for his wit and erudition. His works, notably the satirical novel Fortress Besieged, are characterized by extensive use of quotations in both Chinese and Western languages. This author left a significant mark with his unique style and deep understanding of literature.
Published in English as Fortress Besieged.From Amazon:"Intended for learners of Chinese as a second language, this is an abridged version of the novel by Qian Zhongshu. [....] Maintaining the major plots true to the original, the abridged version of 40,000 words, represents approximately one-sixth of the original 230,000 Chinese characters."
Set on the eve of the Sino-Japanese war, this work 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.