{"product_id":"a-platform-with-no-timetable-9781911221166","title":"A Platform with No Timetable","description":"\u003cp\u003eA Taiwanese businessman is forced to serve as a pimp for a group of seven Japanese men in his home village of Chiao-hsi. The formerly well-respected Ah-Le and his wife bear the weight of shame that his impotence has brought upon them. A young man drives his sister and her friends along the treacherous Taipei-Yilan high-way, as they hunger for the ghost stories surrounding Muddy-Water River...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTaking us deep into Taiwan's rural villages beyond the bustling cities of Kaohsiung and Taipei, Huang Chun-ming introduces us to a cast of characters, at once eccentric and familiar. With his trademark blend of cynicism and warmth, Huang's stories combine national consciousness with humor and heart, offering a candid look into Taiwan's rural lives. From portraits of ordinary people, to modern-day folk tales, to heartfelt contemplations on the Taiwanese identity, this collection showcases the astute compassion of one of Taiwan's most celebrated literary minds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eContents: Sayonara\/Zaijian (1973), Bright Red Shrimps-An Anecdote about Limp Dick Le-zai (1974), Mr. Presently (1986), Blind Ah-mu (1986), Swatting Flies (1986), The Ghost-eater Is Here (1998), A Story of Nine Fingers (1998), The Last Phoenix (1999), Listen to Me, All You Deities (2002), Variations on a Canary's Lament (2002), A Platform with No Timetable (2005), Dragon-eye Well (2005)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Balestier Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50383179481362,"sku":"9781911221166","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_0b9d6298-81fc-4939-b212-35c860312844.jpg?v=1728780343","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/a-platform-with-no-timetable-9781911221166","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}