Forever Left Bank

The novel uses the Pihe River as the boundary, using the tenacity of the "left bank" and the gloom of the "right bank" to outline the spiritual map of the Chinese nation in times of crisis. Chen Yanqiu's growth line is the soul of the book. From a weak teacher who "hid in the mountains with his mother" to a guerrilla commander who proposed "mountain sparrow warfare", his transformation is hidden in the clumsiness of "learning to use a native rifle", in the determination of "breaking out of the Eagle Beak Cliff", and even more in the sincerity of "application to join the party". Lin Wanying's struggle is equally moving. The humiliation of being "forced to wear a kimono", the thrill of "stealing intelligence", and the breakup of "her father dying for the country" make this female character who walks on the edge of light and dark the best footnote to the complexity of human nature in war. The historical weight of the novel is reflected in the texture of the details. The "roar of the gun tower laying foundation" hides the Japanese army's aggressive ambitions, the "attempt to make homemade explosives" describes the difficulties in the base area, and the "vaccination plan" reveals the glimmer of humanity in the war. Zhao Laoshuan's roughness, Chun Xing's sacrifice, Matsui Kenichi's cunning, and the vividness of the group of portraits make the Anti-Japanese War in the Dabie Mountains no longer a distant historical symbol, but a flesh-and-blood life struggle. The most touching thing is the novel's interpretation of "persistence". Whether it is the belief in "Sparks in the Cold Night", the deep affection in "The Promise at Pihe Ferry", or the hope inherited by "Chunxing School", they all tell: The Left Bank is not only a geographical highland, but also a spiritual beacon. When the white-haired Chen Yanqiu looked at the "still green" mountains and forests, sighing that the mountains and rivers were intact, he had already forged his personal destiny and national memory into an eternal monument.