For Gao, art is a matter of life and death, and he has nothing but scorn for commercialism and trendiness. (...) At once provocative and pontifical in themselves, the essays in The Case for Literature also provide a good overview of Gao Xingjian's career, especially when supplemented with the perspicacious contextual introduction by Gao's translator, Mabel Lee. - Michael Dirda, The Washington P