Words from the Sea

范伟国Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press · ChinaSep 2017

Rating 3.5
Word count
93K words
Chapters
115
ISBN
9787313164575

Tags

Essays and Miscellany Humanistic CareLife PhilosophySocial ConductDaily ReflectionsLife WisdomSocial Observation

Summary

This book is a collection of news commentaries, prose travelogues, and blog posts written by the author during his work in Shanghai from 2005 to the present. The author ranges widely, offers original insights, argues with precision, writes solidly and concisely, discerns the significant in the small through his personal observations and experiences, and conveys theories and knowledge in a relaxed, conversational manner. The book is highly readable and may serve as reference for journalists, educators, literature and art enthusiasts, and other readers. The author graduated from the Chinese Department of Ningbo Workers' University and the graduate program of the Journalism Department of Fudan University. From 2005 he served as deputy editor-in-chief of the East China Branch of People's Daily; from 2006 he concurrently served as president and editor-in-chief of International Finance News; from 2008 he served as deputy director of the Shanghai Branch of People's Daily; and from 2009 he concurrently served as director of the Shanghai Channel of People's Daily Online.

Editor's review

Haishang Siyu is a collection of prose essays by the veteran journalist Mr. Fan Weiguo, published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press. The book is not literary creation in the strict sense but rather "urban notes" written about this international metropolis by a reporter who has long observed and recorded Shanghai's urban transformation, in a plain and sincere style. The content is diverse yet orderly, offering both affectionate retrospectives on Shanghai's landmark buildings and historic districts and delicate captures of everyday life and individual fates. The author, Fan Weiguo, was a senior reporter for People's Daily stationed in Shanghai for many years, and this professional background gives him a distinctive observational perspective: he possesses both a macroscopic sense of historical depth and the ability to focus on the specific and minute fates of individuals and the texture of daily life. His writing does not pursue ornate rhetoric but takes fact as its bone and emotion as its flesh, naturally revealing in calm narration a deep love for and complex reflections on the city of Shanghai. For readers, the value of this book lies in the "nonfictional" impression of Shanghai it provides. It is neither as superficial as a travel guide nor as obscure as an academic work; it is a mixture of private memory and public observation by a seasoned "participant." Reading this book, you can feel Shanghai's pulse amid the currents of the times, see the joys and sorrows of ordinary people behind grand narratives, and appreciate how a city's cultural character is formed through layered history and everyday practice. For readers who wish to go beyond stereotypes and gain a deeper understanding of Shanghai's urban texture and spiritual core, this is a sincere and valuable text.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. You need not read in the order of the table of contents; you can pick chapters based on landmarks or themes that interest you
  2. When reading, you can use a map or old photographs of Shanghai to follow the text in a "treasure-hunt" manner, which makes the experience more vivid
  3. It is advisable to slow down and savor the details and emotions embedded in the author's plain narration; this is more rewarding than chasing plot

About the publisher

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press China · Founded in 1983

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press is an academic publisher that gives equal weight to science and technology and the humanities, with titles spanning biography, documentary literature, popular science, cultural studies, artificial intelligence, and social culture. Representative books in the collection range from spaceflight memoirs such as Carrying Fire to the Moon: My Lunar Journey to historical investigations like Evidence: Uncovering 172 Comfort Stations in Shanghai, as well as academic works including Qian Xuesen's Lectures on Physical Mechanics: Collector's Edition, Tang Dynasty Extraterritorial Astronomy, and Eyewitness to the Tokyo Trial. Authors represented include Michael Collins, Qian Xuesen, Su Zhiliang, Wang Meng, and Pai Hsien-yung. The press emphasizes a combination of scientific spirit and humanistic concern, balancing scholarly editions with general reading. Public information is limited, so this profile focuses on the publishing directions reflected in the books held in the collection.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 序
  3. 家国情怀
  4. 范先生
  5. 白帆布球鞋
  6. 妈妈的棒喝
  7. 妈妈的榜样
  8. 光阴的故事
  9. 理想主义老太太
  10. 陪护日记
  11. 弱女子的平凡一生演绎传奇弱
  12. 永恒的身影——伯父百日祭
  13. 父亲的墓志铭
  14. 再忆小平
  15. 感动
  16. 惦记
  17. 闲时念点诗
  18. 淡泊人生
  19. 油菜花
  20. 心灵的幸福
  21. 行动
  22. 醉美山阴
  23. 乱弹琴
  24. 鲁迅，我的高中语文老师
  25. 也说《桃姐》
  26. 医学博士放弃救父
  27. 鲁班师傅的斧头
  28. 送恩师
  29. 端午断想
  30. 活着就是修行
  31. 将青春的一切照单全收吧
  32. 插秧的学问
  33. 收藏祝福
  34. 学会幸福
  35. 鹅岭半日
  36. 夕照寺印象
  37. 给自己的最好礼物
  38. 戏与人生
  39. 忆老总编
  40. 乙未冬月有感
  41. 激浊扬清
  42. 基层政府能否退出招商引资
  43. 行业协会莫为乱涨价添薪
  44. 让月饼成本晒晒阳光
  45. 《短信圈钱》何以叫停
  46. 带薪休假彰显民生关怀
  47. 让政府“钱包”在监督下运作
  48. 华南虎何以“跑”不过藏羚羊
  49. 权力的透明与边界
  50. 地震，对公仆的大考
  51. 不管，要付出代价
  52. 关键在治官
  53. 还我绿色视野
  54. 车牌编排之乱
  55. 少年情怀英雄梦
  56. 老百姓为何成了“老不信”
  57. 四才论
  58. 不讲普通话
  59. 己所欲亦勿施于人
  60. 关键在启民智
  61. “舌尖上的中国”安放何处
  62. 长大做老板
  63. 天地良心
  64. 多些日常生活的救生圈
  65. 做点更实在的事行不行
  66. 牌子论
  67. 废话论
  68. 口碑论
  69. 成败论
  70. 当代人的怪圈
  71. 不可为而为之
  72. 梦想与人生
  73. 雅量论
  74. 气象论
  75. 酒之论
  76. 青春的随想
  77. 书生意气
  78. 风花雪月
  79. 缺的是野心
  80. 留住你的童真
  81. 题樱花照
  82. 你知道我是谁吗
  83. 蓝颜
  84. 贺端午
  85. 这副对联好
  86. 寂寞时分
  87. 就当他是狗
  88. 今夜有雨
  89. 三分盐
  90. 看《豪斯医生》
  91. 箴言
  92. 又是重庆！
  93. 唯吾知足
  94. 按生活的真实去生活
  95. 赞赏（两则）
  96. 智慧
  97. 陆家嘴，不可亲
  98. 自由的你
  99. 品味普陀
  100. 谁偷走了时间
  101. 活的是心情
  102. 小年的记忆
  103. 人生是什么
  104. 风中飘荡
  105. 读书札记
  106. 民歌说
  107. 被从容所感动
  108. 厦门感想
  109. 孤独说
  110. 学学大象
  111. 听歌
  112. 十年弹指间
  113. 读书之法
  114. 作文之要
  115. 跋

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a work of documentary writing? It is a collection of documentary prose essays based on the author's many years of experience and reflection as a journalist; it falls within the category of nonfiction writing.
What aspects of Shanghai does the book mainly cover? The content is broad, covering historic buildings, neighborhood transformation, everyday life, cultural phenomena, interviews with people, and more; it is a collection that presents Shanghai's urban landscape from multiple dimensions.
What is the author's writing style? The author's style is plain, restrained, and delicate, with clear hallmarks of a journalist's profession: he emphasizes facts and details, and his emotional expression is understated and deep rather than showy.

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About the author

范伟国 Author

Fan Weiguo is a Chinese writer about whom limited public information is available. What can be confirmed is that one work by this author is held in the collection: a collection of essays and miscellaneous writings titled Haishang Yusi (roughly, "Silk Threads on the Sea"). Judging from the title and its classification, the book appears to consist of essayistic pieces centered on the maritime theme, possibly recording urban life, observations, and everyday reflections. Since details such as dates of birth and death, place of origin, and professional career cannot be verified, little should be inferred about the author's life. On the basis of the available material, Fan Weiguo's writing is represented chiefly by this single work, and readers wishing to understand his style and concerns may begin there. Overall, he remains a relatively undocumented author whose work deserves further attention from readers and researchers.