"Fang Island" contains nine short stories, including "Bird in the Wind", "Fang Island", "Metaphor", "Desire", etc. The story is mainly based on the author's early life as an educated youth, and is mostly set in Northeastern farms or northern rural areas. By describing the stories of ordinary people struggling to survive in the cracks of the times, it shows the alternation and collision between individuals and the surrounding space in a harsh and complex environment.
These works adhere to the author's consistent creative philosophy: reducing psychological description to a minimum, focusing on describing what the characters see and the dialogue between characters. These early creative techniques were continued by the author in "Flowers" and carried forward to the extreme.
"Light Cold" tells the story of life in a small town in Jiangnan during the occupation period. Japanese soldiers were coming and residents fled. In a bacon shop filled with a salty smell, the boss and the maid disappeared one after another, leaving only the hostess Qiguan and the shopkeeper Shousheng. The dense and tall reeds, the criss-crossing waterways, and the smell of secrets are dizzying...
The narrative of the novel is like a film with blurred camera movements. Disaster is imminent, and everyone is like flies trapped in hot honey paste, unable to escape. The truth arrived unexpectedly, and the fate had already been decided.
"Bowl": "Girl, you look so much like your mother."
Thirty years ago, on a farm, Shanghai young Xiaoying died in a well. Thirty years later, a girl suddenly appeared. It turned out that she was Xiaoying's daughter. Xiaoying rushed back to Shanghai from the Northeast and secretly gave birth to a baby girl.
In the face of young lives, these historical survivors finally faced the past that they did not want to recount, and admitted that the most important things in the past had been shattered and disappeared.
There are only memories of youth, together with companions who died young, unable to calm down or rest in peace.
Reader comments
This portfolio is amazing! Every story is full of vitality, making me feel the struggle and persistence of ordinary people in that special era. Just like the sentence in "Qinghan" "Disaster is coming, everyone is like flies trapped in hot honey paste, unable to escape", it is really wonderfully written! I especially like the story of "The Bowl". I was deeply touched by the complex emotions of the survivors of history when they finally faced their past. However, I kind of hate a certain character in the story. As for who it is, I won't spoil it for now. You will know after you read it yourself! All in all, this is a great book worth reading!
The writing is beautiful and the artistic conception is profound!
This portfolio is amazing! Every story is full of vitality, making me feel the struggle and persistence of ordinary people in that special era. Just like the sentence in "Qinghan" "Disaster is coming, everyone is like flies trapped in hot honey paste, unable to escape", it is really wonderfully written! I especially like the story of "The Bowl". I was deeply touched by the complex emotions of the survivors of history when they finally faced their past. However, I kind of hate a certain character in the story. As for who it is, I won't spoil it for now. You will know after you read it yourself! All in all, this is a great book worth reading!
The writing is beautiful and the artistic conception is profound!
A true portrayal of the memories of a generation