Above the Clouds

Name: Above the Clouds
ISBN: 9787559836809

Zhao BoGuangxi Normal University Press · ChinaSep 2021

3.2

Word count: 131K words
Chapters: 32
ISBN: 9787559836809

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Summary

Clouds Above is a prose-style novel, a retrospective and summing-up by its author Zhao Bo at midlife. Taking growth as its theme, it presses into the front lines of contemporary urban life and sinks into the crevices of modern existence, boldly exposing the heart's secrets through a nimble, subtle, delicate and richly personal narrative, candidly and sincerely laying the inner self bare. From her personal experience we can feel her individual growth; her candor makes her work a clear stream in contemporary literature.

Editor's review

Clouds Above is a collection of prose by the writer Zhao Bo, published by Guangxi Normal University Press. It is not a work of fiction but a delicate sifting of the author's personal life, emotions and memories. Taking "clouds" as its image, the book threads together fragmentary writings about her hometown, journeys, daily life and inner world; the style is light and sensuous, with a strong air of private narrative. Zhao Bo's writing does not strive for grand themes but focuses on catching easily overlooked moments of feeling and details of life, building within seemingly loose narration a warm yet slightly detached spiritual space. From a professional standpoint, the work's value lies in its sincere self-disclosure and fine linguistic texture; it offers a "slow reading" experience, suited to readers seeking spiritual refuge in a fragmented age. Those expecting tight structure or deep social insight may, however, feel somewhat disappointed. It is more a literary private diary, whose charm lies in the emotional resonance the author achieves with herself and with her readers through words.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nonfiction genres such as prose and personal essays
Literary lovers who prefer delicate emotional writing and private narrative
Those who hope to find a moment of calm and resonance through reading amid a busy life
Readers interested in the personal writing of contemporary women writers

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plot, fast pace or grand narrative
Readers seeking rigorous academic analysis or deep discussion of social issues

Reading tips

Read in fragments with a relaxed mind; there is no need to finish it in one sitting
Relate the reading to your own experiences and feelings, and sense the emotional flow in the writing
Notice how the author turns everyday trivialities into poetic literary expression

About the publisher

Guangxi Normal University Press China · Founded in 1986

Guangxi Normal University Press is a publisher known for literature, foreign literature and history titles. Its 1,175 books in the database show a solid accumulation in classics and prose collections, including foreign literary works such as Les Fleurs du mal: Annotated Poems of Baudelaire, Snow Country, Dubliners and The Wild Palms, as well as modern prose compilations like The Complete Prose of Zhou Zuoren. History and philosophy also hold a notable share, with titles such as Running Dogs: Clerks and Runners in Qing County Yamen and The History and Thought of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom reflecting attention to Qing local administration and modern history. In art literature there is the 16-volume Ten Bamboo Studio Painting and Calligraphy Manual. Its author resources include foreign writers Charles Baudelaire and Yasunari Kawabata, translators and annotators Liu Nanqi and Zou Bo, and scholars such as Zhong Shuhe, Bradly W. Reed and You Chenjun. As public information is limited, this characterization is based only on the books in the database, which together present a profile balancing Chinese and foreign literary classics with academic works in the humanities and social sciences.

版权信息
楔子
1 家庭
2 父亲
3 那年夏天
4 那一年离长大还有一段距离
5 小城里的男孩们
6 外公外婆和其他
7 记忆中的文化宫还有旱冰场
8 二毛十六岁的日记
9 所谓70年代
10 曾经的婚姻
11 苦难记
12 药不能停
13 漫长的告别
14 什么让她没有安全感
15 梦
16 两个人的车站
17 云端上的爱情
18 我们的爱没有施处
19 寂寞是人生的终点
20 活出生命的意义
21 关于破相
22 真相
23 落在她身上的火
24 金大林
25 浴火重生
26 信仰，爱和力量
27 陪你到很老很老
28 两人的通信
29 另外一种结局
后记婚后三十七年，父亲杀了我母亲

FAQ

What is this book mainly about?

It is a collection of prose centered on the author's personal memories, observations of life and inner feelings, using "clouds" as a thread to write about her hometown, travels and everyday life with reflection and recollection.

What kind of writer is Zhao Bo?

Zhao Bo is a contemporary Chinese writer mainly of prose and personal essays. Her style is delicate and sensuous, and she excels at capturing personal life experience and moments of feeling; her work often attends to the inner world and the poetry of the everyday.

What is the reading experience like?

The reading experience is rather quiet and unhurried. The writing is beautiful and emotionally charged, but the narrative pace is slow and the structure loose; it suits leisurely savoring rather than a search for plot excitement.

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About the author

Zhao Bo Author · Chinese · 1971

Zhao Bo, a Chinese contemporary writer born in Changzhou, Jiangsu, in July 1971, is often regarded as one of the representative writers of the post-1970s generation. She began publishing while in middle school and resumed writing after 1996. She is the author of more than twenty novels and essay collections, including Beijing Flow, Double Life, Paris Affair, and Above the Clouds. She now lives in Nanjing and frequently travels. Her works span social fiction and suspense, often exploring urban life and emotional experience. The library also lists works under the name Zhao Bo in politics, medicine, computing, and the Internet of Things; limited public information makes it difficult to confirm whether they are by the same author.