You Can Fly

赵大河Henan Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJan 2024

Rating 3.3
Word count
111K words
Chapters
51
ISBN
9787555916291

Tags

Essays and Miscellany Travel AccountsLife ReflectionsCourage and ChoiceFollowing the HeartInner CallingGrowing UpUrban ReflectionFamily NarrativeHeartwarming NarrativeReading Essays

Summary

This book is one volume in the "Novelists' Essays" series and the first essay collection by the accomplished writer Zhao Dahe. It comprises four sections: travel, family, reflections on life, and reading.

Live by the voice within—what kind of life will you have? After graduating from Peking University's Department of Chinese, the author was assigned to a grassroots work unit in his hometown, where he stayed for ten years. Then one night a voice cried out from deep within: "You can fly, you can fly!" So he resigned, moved to Beijing, worked as an editor and screenwriter, wrote fiction... In a life chasing dreams, joys and hardships both have their own flavor, and the distant sea surges toward you too.

Editor's review

You Can Fly by Zhao Dahe is a collection of prose essays on personal growth and inner exploration. Its greatest appeal lies in the fact that it is not a rigid self-help manual: drawing on his own experience and observations, the author discusses courage, choice, perseverance, and inner freedom in delicate prose. Zhao Dahe is not a success guru in the conventional sense; his writing is closer to the sharing of a contemplative thinker, which makes the views in the book more approachable and credible.

In terms of content, the book is clearly structured into several thematic sections that explore how to break through self-imposed limits, how to keep hope alive in adversity, and how to discover and pursue one's true inner longings. Its value lies in offering not a set of universal rules but an inward-looking perspective and gentle encouragement. The book cites many real-life examples and literary allusions, so the discussion never feels hollow and readily resonates with readers. For readers who feel lost, stuck, or eager for change at some stage of life, this book is like a lamp that is not dazzling but warm enough to light the path of self-dialogue.

As an editor, I believe the reading value of this book lies in its "healing" rather than "functional" quality. It does not promise to make people "successful" immediately; instead, it seeks to help readers build a more resilient and self-consistent inner world. In today's generally anxious social atmosphere, such unhurried writing that emphasizes inner cultivation is especially valuable. The edition from Henan Literature and Art Publishing House is plainly bound, in keeping with the temperament of the content.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Read in a relatively quiet, undisturbed environment so you can follow the text in thought
  2. Do not rush to finish; read one or two chapters a day and reflect slowly in light of your own experience
  3. Keep a pen at hand while reading to note sentences that move you or personal thoughts they inspire

About the publisher

Henan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1996

Founded in 1996, Henan Literature and Art Publishing House mainly publishes books on literature and art, social sciences and broadly cultural subjects, and also edits and publishes the journal Celebrity Biography, gradually forming a publishing style characterized by full-length historical novels and biographical literature. Judging from the 269 titles in the database, its publishing scope also covers mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, classic works and world classics. Representative books include Ellery Queen's four tragedies, Slaughterhouse-Five, Blindness, The Siege of Lisbon, The History of the Siege of Lisbon, the ten-volume Collected Works of Wang Zengqi, Old Tales Retold and the two-volume Classic Short Stories of Stanisław Lem, the God of Science Fiction. In terms of authors, it includes foreign masters such as Kurt Vonnegut, José Saramago and Ellery Queen, as well as translators such as Yang Xi, Yu Jianhua and Fan Weixin.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 第一辑 踏莎行
  3. 温情的靴子
  4. 爱情的三个夜晚——听来的故事
  5. 老房子
  6. 姥婆
  7. 鲤鱼蹿沙
  8. 安静的价值
  9. 欹器的启示
  10. 镜中映像
  11. 雾中风景
  12. 春风沉醉的上午
  13. 幸福，突然降临
  14. 将军还乡谈往
  15. 随想：384年前的雪夜
  16. 有座古寺，名叫慈云
  17. 李庄的安静
  18. 在阜平，我看到……
  19. 走进黄姚就是走进梦境
  20. 凤凰凤凰
  21. 你可以飞翔
  22. 第二辑 父与子
  23. 站台
  24. 未来主义袜子
  25. 童话之夜
  26. 牙的故事
  27. 朱童与朱重
  28. 儿子的逻辑
  29. 谁当国王，谁当王子
  30. 书信与童话
  31. 文字的魔力
  32. 儿子的圣诞树
  33. 第三辑 归去来
  34. 燕园随想
  35. 梦想之地
  36. 西游：真实及想象的经历
  37. 第四辑 读与思
  38. 宿命的写作
  39. 可怕的第六感
  40. 观剧有感
  41. 南塘：一个文学地理形象
  42. 朝圣的孩子——读黄礼孩诗集《我对命运所知甚少》
  43. 天边外的烟火气息——陈武《天边外》读后感
  44. 且听“获救之舌”倾诉——读卡内蒂的“自传三部曲”
  45. 随笔五则
  46. 分身博弈的纳博科夫——读《塞·奈特的真实生活》
  47. 读书笔记二则
  48. 编辑手记
  49. 时间在小说中
  50. 致谢
  51. 作者简介

FAQ

Is this book sentimental chicken soup? It is fundamentally different from the flood of chicken-soup writing. There are few empty slogans; most of it is sincere sharing based on the author's life observations and inner experience, emphasizing self-awareness and the discovery of inner strength rather than external motivation.
Is this book suitable as a gift for a friend? It is very suitable for friends going through a low point or a period of transition. It is a gift that expresses care and encouragement, conveying the goodwill of "I understand your situation, and I believe you can get through it."
Are the views in the book too idealistic? The author does not avoid the hardships of reality; rather, he explores how individuals can adjust their mindset, make choices, and bear the consequences while acknowledging real limitations. The tone is pragmatic and hopeful, not impractical fantasy.

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About the author

赵大河 Author

Zhao Dahe is a Chinese-language author whose works span a notably wide range of subjects. Public information about him is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly documented. The library currently holds eight of his works, including The Dwarf and the King, A Rose for Allan Poe, The Death Row Inmate and the Emperor, Love That Burns the Heart, The Great Magician, Our Road, You Can Fly, and The Burning Castle. These titles suggest writing that touches on Eastern philosophy, essays and miscellany, social fiction, and folk literature. He often builds narratives around historical figures, courts, and prisoners, weaving philosophical reflection into fictional stories, with a language that combines the lyricism of the essay with the dramatic tension of fiction. His output is modest in quantity but varied in subject, showing a willingness to move between popular and literary registers, and his work deserves readers' attention from multiple angles.