Give Me a Soul, Grant Me a Poem

Zhao Xun

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Word count: 14.2K words

Summary

This book is a collection of life essays written in the first person by the author. In the opening the author admits that she once pursued fame and fortune but could not feel the beauty of life, until she met a kindred spirit and found her lost dream again. The book records moments the author spent with children at a welfare home: on a snowy day the boy Zhou Lele gives her a snowball, the girl Zhu Bingxuan gives her an ice-carved rabbit, and the children give each other paper-folded dolls and stone rings as tokens of affection; it also describes accompanying her father to visit divorced relatives, a brief stay in a small village by the Yellow River, and her thoughts on loneliness and growth while alone observing passersby in the street. In a plain and sincere tone, the author presents the warmth and self-reflection of ordinary life.

Editor's review

This is a rather personal essay collection, suitable for readers who like slow-paced prose and resonate with themes of children and loneliness. Its strength is its strong sense of reality: the details of the welfare-home children are vivid, and the emotion is restrained rather than affected. The weaknesses are also clear: the subjects are scattered, there is no main line of progression, and some passages are rambling and loose, so readers seeking plot and satisfaction will find it bland.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like prose essays and slow-paced reading
Readers concerned with social issues such as children and welfare homes
Readers who prefer authentic, personal life writing

Not a good fit for

Readers who seek tight plots and satisfying web novels
Readers who prefer genre fiction such as fantasy and romance

Reading tips

Read it casually as an essay collection; there is no need to seek a continuous main line
Pay attention to the chapters about the welfare-home children to appreciate the author's understanding of freedom and happiness
Read the opening preface first to understand the author's motivation, then read the main text for a more coherent experience

FAQ

What kind of novel is this book?

It is a rather personal collection of life essays, recording in the first person the children around the author and her daily reflections.

Is there a complete main plotline?

No. The book consists of independent short essays on themes of loneliness, growth, and warmth.

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About the author

Zhao Xun Author

Zhao Xun is an author about whom little public information is available; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death remain unconfirmed, and only one work by this author is included in the collection. On the basis of the currently available material, Zhao Xun's representative work is Give Me a Soul, Grant Me a Poem, which is classified under literature and essays/miscellaneous writings, suggesting that the writing is mainly in the form of prose and personal essays, with an emphasis on emotion and inner life. Judging from the title, the work appears to revolve around the soul, poetry, and the spiritual world, and its language may carry a lyrical and reflective quality, seeking to connect everyday life with inner feeling. Because the number of works is limited and reviews and background materials are still insufficient, it is difficult to make a more specific judgment about the full scope of Zhao Xun's writing, the development of this style, or literary influence; these must await the appearance of more works and materials.