Gentle Night Author: Sanmao Publisher: Nanhai Publishing Company

Introduction · · · · · ·
【Content Introduction】

"Gentle Night": Walking out of the Sahara and arriving at the Canary Islands, adventures and wonders on the seaside.

Moderate loneliness, a solid and happy daily life, and a life full of fireworks.

I love the breeze and the bright moon, and I also love the daily necessities of life.

Triviality and dullness are the foundation of life, but they also make life rich and surprising.

"Gentle Night" contains 15 essays by Sanmao, recording the story of her and her husband Jose after they left the Sahara Desert and moved to the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The appendix also includes a letter from Sanmao to the readers.

The life by the sea, full of fireworks, has injected the tenderness and richness of water into Sanmao's creation. In "Gentle Night", she records a series of wonderful and warm encounters in a foreign land, talks about freedom, dreams, life, art and love, and writes about the bond between her and her lover, family, friends and strangers.

【Editor's recommendation】

★ A masterpiece by the legendary writer Sanmao, a classic with a high score of 8.9 on Douban

★ 2022 new edition, a selection of 15 essays, and a letter to readers

★ Sanmao and Jose ended their trip to the Sahara and settled in the Canary Islands. Their adventures and thoughts after returning to their daily lives

★ A book about life full of fireworks. Records wonderful and warm encounters on the island, talks about freedom, dreams, life, art and love

★ A wife's declaration of independence and freedom. She loves the daily necessities of life, but she loves the breeze and the moon even more.

★ "Stories from the Sahara" is passionate and takes us away from the ordinary; "Gentle Night" is calm and makes us not afraid of the ordinary

★ The cover is handwritten by Sanmao, and the binding design is by a well-known designer. A turtle bookmark is given with the book.

【Media celebrity comments】

☆…I didn’t want to give Sanmao this already vulgar title, but after thinking about it, there is no better way to describe her, so I’ll just call her a strange woman. The positive meaning of “strange” should be “unique”, and according to the explanation in the dictionary, it means having a lofty aspiration and not following the crowd. ——Liang Yusheng (writer)

☆ Shujuan's writing style also has the weight and luster of a diamond. ——Yu Qiuyu (writer)

☆For many years, I have been talking about Sanmao everywhere. I am one of her readers. Art exists by conquering. I envy Sanmao, a true writer. - Jia Pingwa (writer)

☆ Sanmao's first story is very peculiar, full of unusual sensibility. ——Bai Xianyong (writer)

☆I have never worshipped anyone, but my admiration for Sanmao is probably close to worship. I long for a wonderful, hard but rich life, just like Sanmao. ——Chen Luyu (host)

☆ Sanmao had a great influence on me. When I was in the dance academy, I loved reading Sanmao and I imitated her when writing. - Yao Chen (actress)

☆Sister Sanmao...she is a very brave person. —— Qi Yu (singer)

☆The world presented by Sanmao is sad and bleak, but simple, straightforward and warm. She was my first true love for words when I was young. ——Jidi (illustrator)

【Readers’ comments】

1. Sanmao's life is still interesting, and this book seems to have a little more earthly flavor.

2. Sanmao is a person who can write about ordinary life in an extraordinary way.

3. In "Gentle Night", the courage is still there, but the adventurous atmosphere is gone. I envy Sanmao for her leisurely heart that enjoys life in a harsh environment.

4. The simplest and most beautiful, the most real and the most touching.

5. Sanmao, whose marriage entered a stable period, had a gentle wifely demeanor, but she still had the integrity and pride in her bones. She made many friends and helped some people. Overall, she had more happiness than regrets.

6. This book is a collection of circumstances. Every encounter with the people around you should be worth remembering.

7. Tell the bitterness and fragmented beauty of life lightly and softly.

8. The degree of joy or sadness is between "Stories from the Sahara" and "How Many Flowers Fall in Dreams".

About the Author
Sanmao (1943-1991), whose ancestral home is Dinghai, Zhejiang, was born in Chongqing and grew up in Taipei. In 1967, she went to study at the University of Madrid, and later worked at the University of Illinois and Chinese Culture University. In 1974, she married and settled in the Sahara Desert and the Canary Islands with her husband Jose. In 1976, she published "Stories from the Sahara", and her works have since become popular in the Chinese-speaking world. Her representative works include "The Rainy Season Will Never Come Back" and "How Many Flowers Have Fallen in Dreams".