Mourning

Name: Mourning
ISBN: 9787506318501

万夏Writers Publishing House · ChinaApr 2022

3.5

Word count: 53K words
Chapters: 5
ISBN: 9787506318501

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Summary

This book is a collection of fiction compiled by the poet Wan Xia. It brings together several novellas that Wan Xia wrote in the late 1980s of the twentieth century, including 'Chronic Illness,' 'Mourning,' 'Farm Work,' and others. The author, known as a poet, gathered these novellas — all written during the same period — into a single volume. For readers, the book offers the opportunity to read these works of fiction together in one collection, kept side by side just as their author organized them.

Editor's review

Opening Wan Xia's Sang, one is immediately met with a kind of spiritual cross-section of contemporary urban life. This work is not a narrative novel in the traditional sense but rather an urban survival memorandum woven from moods, fragmented scenes, and inner monologues. With a cold, precise touch, the author dissects the spiritual emptiness, dissolution of meaning, and emotional alienation of modern people beneath the surface of material abundance. Here sang is not merely a fashionable tone but a deep portrayal of a state of existence, a literary gaze at the individual's sense of powerlessness and nothingness in a fast-running society.\n\nIn terms of literary value, Wan Xia's writing carries a distinct personal style and experimental quality. The language is highly charged, sometimes sharp as a blade, sometimes viscous as fog, switching deftly between minimal dialogue and elaborate inner landscapes to create a unique reading rhythm. It offers no cheap consolation or clear way out; instead it draws the reader into a spiritual wasteland and forces you to confront the confusion and exhaustion masked by daily busyness. This honesty of not providing answers is precisely the book's most valuable quality.\n\nFor today's readers, the experience of reading Sang is more like a cold shower for the psyche. It may not make you feel pleased, but it is very likely to trigger deep resonance and reflection. It records a certain collective psychological symptom of our era, a faint cry for help from the individual soul amid the flood of materialism. Reading it requires some psychological preparation and literary taste; it is not a diversion but a slightly cruel mirror held up to the inner self.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in exploring the spiritual dilemmas and existential states of contemporary urban people
Literary lovers who appreciate a cold, introspective, experimental style
People in high-pressure, fast-paced lives who feel exhausted and alienated and seek resonance and understanding in literature
Thinkers concerned with social psychology and cultural phenomena who hope to observe the essence of sang culture through a literary lens

Not a good fit for

Readers of traditional novels seeking dramatic plots, strong storytelling, and clear endings
Readers expecting light pleasure or chicken-soup-style comfort from reading

Reading tips

Read in a relatively quiet, undisturbed environment and leave yourself room to chew over the language and emotions
Do not rush to pursue plot progression; try following the flow of the author's consciousness and feel the texture of the language and the atmosphere being created
After reading, you may compare and reflect on your own experience, but do not force yourself to seek solutions; the process of experiencing is itself the value

About the publisher

Writers Publishing House China · Founded in 1953

Writers Publishing House is a Chinese publisher focused mainly on literary publishing. Its output covers classical literature, foreign literature, folk literature and Eastern philosophy, with some extension into popular reading such as social fiction and parenting books. Its catalogue contains more than 900 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber and its edited editions, Shakespeare's Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and foreign literary classics such as The Brothers Karamazov and Lost Illusions. In terms of authors, it includes classical writers such as Cao Xueqin and Gao E, foreign masters such as William Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and Balzac, and translations by translators such as Zhu Shenghao, Geng Jizhi and Fu Lei. Overall, its publishing profile balances Chinese and foreign literary classics, emphasizes quality translations, and serves both academic and general readers; publicly available information on its specific publishing plans is limited.

版权信息
宿疾
丧
农事 --残章选十
后记

FAQ

Does this book tell a complete story?

The book is not a linear narrative; it focuses more on capturing and presenting a diffuse spiritual state and slices of life. Its structure is rather fragmented, closer to a collection of literary essays or inner monologues unified by theme.

Will reading it make me feel even more down?

The book does focus on the mood and state of sang, and its tone is cold. But it is not meant to vent emotions; rather, it presents and dissects this widespread state of mind in a literary way. For some readers, the feeling of being understood and given expression may instead bring a sense of release or clear-eyed recognition.

Does the author Wan Xia have other works?

Wan Xia is a contemporary Chinese poet and writer and was one of the representative figures of the Third Generation poetry movement. In addition to fiction and essayistic works such as Sang, his creative output is mainly poetry; he is the author of poetry collections including Essence and The Works of Wan Xia, and his poetic style is likewise known for being concise, cold, and richly speculative.

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About the author

万夏 Author

Wan Xia is a Chinese author of modern poetry, about whom public information is limited and whose exact biographical details have not yet been systematically disclosed. The library currently holds two of his works, "Mourning" (Sang) and "Essence" (Benzhi), commonly classified under classic works and modern poetry. Judging from the titles and classifications of these two works, his writing tends to address relatively abstract themes through concise poetic language, centering on existence, authenticity, and emotional experience, with the introspective temperament and restrained expression characteristic of modern poetry. Based on the available material, the scale and reception of Wan Xia's writing remain unclear, making it difficult to determine his specific place and influence in the poetry scene; nevertheless, the two works "Mourning" and "Essence" themselves provide a basic entry point for understanding his writing. Readers interested in the author and his poetry may begin with these two works to appreciate his language style and thematic concerns, and may supplement this with later public information.