ranierean
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Russian willpower
According to a People's Daily article examining Xi's reading habits, classics such as Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov, And Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov and War and Peace and Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy, all resonated with Xi.
“Dostoevsky is the deepest Russian writer, while Tolstoy is the widest. Comparing the two of them, I prefer Tolstoy,” Xi said.
Germany's deal with the devil
Xi first came across Goethe's work at age 14 when he read The Sorrows of Young Werther.
During his time working in rural China, he walked 30 kilometers to borrow a copy of Faust from an educated youth that he knew. Perhaps it was the great lengths he went through to get the book, but he fell in love with it after reading it.
During one visit to Germany, Xi admitted to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and a group of German sinologists that the fertile imagination seen in Faust made it difficult for him to understand. “Even Germans are unable to fully understand Faust, let alone you” came their answer.
The wild spirit of the US
When it comes to the literature of the US, poetry anthology Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman and novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain are both on Xi's reading list.
However, his favorite US author by far is Jack London, the author behind The Call of the Wild, The Sea-Wolf and Love of Life, the short story much loved by Lenin.
Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea impressed Xi a lot with its detailed description of the furious storm, huge waves, small boat, old man and sharks. To better understand Hemingway's spirit, Xi looked for spots where Hemingway wrote the novel each time he visited Cuba. His first trip took him to a trestle bridge and the second to a bar where the author used to write.
France's touching moments
It was the works of Victor Hugo that left the biggest impression on Xi. Both Les Misérables and Ninety-Three were set among the French Revolution. Xi once mentioned one of the moments that touched him the most was when Bishop Myriel helps Jean Valjean and encourages him to be a better man, "Great works have such a great power to move readers."
Contemporary British culture
During a visit to London in 2015, Xi praised British culture and literature in a speech at a banquet, mentioning how popular literary greats such as Shakespeare and contemporary British TV shows such as Downton Abbey were in China.
"Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens have made Chinese people realize the charm of traditional British literature. Contemporary works including the 007 series, Harry Potter, Sherlock and Downton Abbey are also beloved by Chinese audiences," Xi said.
A look at what's on President Xi Jinping's shelves[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn
It's no secret that Xi has a passion for reading. On many different occasions he has mentioned literature from different cultures and countries. Back in 2013, in an interview with media from BRIC countries he said, I have loads of hobbies, my favorite one is reading.
www.chinadaily.com.cn
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