This collection of short stories from one of Taiwan’s greatest living authors focuses on the elderly, and the quiet spaces they inhabit. Huang Chun-Ming turns his gaze to the paddies and porches of Yilan, his countryside home, and to a cast of brilliantly interesting characters, such as the newspaper reader, “Mr. At-This-Minute,” the blind Ah Mu, and an unnamed, bearded old man whom the local children were convinced was their local Earth God incarnate. Huang Chun-Ming describes these members of his generation with compassion and honesty, and readers of all generations can empathize with these people who are filled with love, yet set aside.
Put to Pasture represents a high point in Huang Chun-Ming’s storied literary career. Here, as he finds himself in the lives of his compatriots, his style comes into its full power.