{
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  "title": "Fortress Besieged",
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  "url": "https://www.bookquiver.com/qian-zhongshu/fortress-besieged",
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  "authors": [
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      "name": "Zhongshu Qian",
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  "original_language": "zh",
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  "description": "Set on the eve of the Sino-Japanese war, Fortress Besieged 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 - while when he does finally make it home, he obtains a teaching post at a newly established university, encounters effete pseudo-intellectuals, and falls into a marriage of disastrous proportions. A glorious tale of love, marriage, war, calamity, disillusionment and hope, this is one of the greatest Chinese novels: combining Eastern philosophy, Western traditions, adventure, tragicomedy and satire to create a unique feast of delights.",
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      "title": "Fortress Besieged",
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      "isbn": "978-01-4118-786-0",
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