NYT Praises 'Taiwan Travelogue' as a 'Passionate Letter to Translators'

The novel 'Taiwan Travelogue' has garnered international attention following its International Booker Prize win. The New York Times highly praised the book, describing it as a 'love story from Taiwan' and a 'passionate letter to translators.' The paper quoted author Yang Shuang-zi's acceptance speech: 'Literature has never given up on holding its ground, nor has it given up on dialogue with others. The century-long inquiry of Taiwanese literature is, in fact, the Taiwanese people's century-long pursuit of freedom and equality.' The NYT called it a passionate and sincere speech. The report outlined the plot: set in 1938 during the Japanese colonial period, a young Japanese female novelist travels to Taiwan, hoping to experience island life like a local, only to fall in love with her female translator, unable to bridge the invisible gap between colonizer and colonized. The review highlighted the book's literary ingenuity and described it as a compelling and delicious love story.