Disguise
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Summary
Disguise is Han Dong's latest collection of short stories and novellas following Darkness and Wolf Tracks, containing eight works: "Sympathy," "One Who Has Seen Lu Xun," "The Cat King," "Saving Mother," "The Poetry Gathering," "Remarriage," "One Person," and "Disguise." These works stay close to everyday life, with themes including marriage in old age, the end of youth, midlife crisis, mourning for relatives and friends, and farewell to life. They tell of love, friendship, family bonds, and the universal human affection between people and animals, reflecting the faces of youth, old age and illness, art and literature, human nature, and existence, and mapping the gatherings and partings of contemporary people and the mingled joys and sorrows of contemporary life. "Sympathy" portrays President Qing, a man in middle age who appears glamorous before others but whose family hides undercurrents and an unspeakable secret pain. "Saving Mother" tells of a son who, to save his gravely ill mother, goes from seeking doctors and medicine to chanting Buddhist sutras and the Bible, yet still cannot pull his exhausted mother back from the brink of death—absurdity filled with life's helplessness. "Remarriage," which won the Contemporary Literary Competition's annual novella championship, depicts the friction and clashes between the children of two blended families after the mother remarries, as each side defends their own parent, fully revealing the rifts in marriage, the barriers between people, and the tug of human nature. "Disguise" recounts a sorrowful episode in literary circles: a genius poet disguises himself as a literary youth, and a melancholy man disguises himself as a happy fool—this disguise deceives friends and himself alike...
Editor's review
伪装 (Disguise) is a collection of novellas and short stories by Han Dong, following 幽暗 (Gloom) and 狼踪 (Wolf Tracks). It contains eight pieces on themes close to everyday life: marriage in old age, the disbanding of youth, midlife crisis, mourning for relatives and friends, and farewells to life, as well as the bond between humans and animals. The title story, “Disguise,” depicts a genius poet who disguises himself as a literary youth and a melancholy man who disguises himself as a happy fool; this disguise deceives both friends and self, making it the piece that most clearly states the book's theme. “Remarriage” won the Dangdai Literary Rally's annual novella prize; it portrays the friction that arises when children of a blended family each defend their own parent, rendering marital discord, interpersonal barriers, and the tug of human nature in fine detail. “Saving Mother” moves from seeking doctors and medicine to chanting Buddhist sutras and the Bible, revealing helplessness through the absurd. The writing is restrained throughout, sparing in sentiment, showing contemporary people's partings and reunions, joys and sorrows in the crevices of daily life. It suits readers who like to see human nature in ordinary places and who read slowly and attentively.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Literary readers who enjoy contemporary novellas and short stories with everyday themes
- Readers interested in real-world issues such as marriage, family, and midlife circumstances
- Readers who appreciate restrained writing and are willing to read closely for details of human nature
- Readers who have read Han Dong's earlier story collections and wish to continue
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking strong suspense and fast-paced plots may find it plain
- Readers expecting clear moral judgments and emotional catharsis may be unsatisfied
- Readers who prefer long, grand narratives may find the short-story collection structure uncongenial
Reading tips
- Start with the title story “Disguise” and the award-winning “Remarriage” to grasp the book's tone and concerns.
- Pause after each piece and recall the moments when characters chose concealment over honesty.
- Read “Saving Mother” and “Remarriage” together to compare helplessness and estrangement in family relationships.
- Keep pen and paper handy to note character relationships; with many characters across the stories, mapping them makes the details easier to appreciate.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 同情
- 见过鲁迅的人
- 猫王
- 救母
- 诗会
- 再婚
- 一个人
- 伪装
FAQ
How many stories are in this collection, and what are they about?
Eight in total: "Sympathy," "Someone Who Met Lu Xun," "The Cat King," "Saving Mother," "The Poetry Gathering," "Remarriage," "One Person," and "Disguise." Their themes include marriage in old age, the disbanding of youth, midlife crisis, mourning for relatives and friends, farewells to life, and the bond between humans and animals.
What does the title "Disguise" refer to?
It is the name of one of the stories, and it also points to the situation the whole book is concerned with: people dressing themselves up as something else, fooling their friends and fooling themselves. As you read each story, watch for where the characters choose to hide.
Will not having read "Gloom" and "Wolf Tracks" affect my reading?
No. This is a standalone collection of novellas and short stories; each piece stands on its own, so you can start directly with this book. If you like the style, you can go back to the previous two afterward.
What is special about the story "Remarriage"?
It won the annual novella championship of the Contemporary Literary Rally. It depicts the friction and clashes between the children of two blended families after the mother remarries, as each side defends their own parent, revealing marital rifts, interpersonal barriers, and the pull of human nature. It is one of the more substantial pieces in the book.
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About the author
韩东
Author
Han Dong is a Chinese author whose work spans several genres; publicly available information about him is limited, making biographical details difficult to confirm. Four of his works are included here, falling under categories such as classic works, modern poetry, social fiction, and management, which suggests that his writing is not confined to a single field. His representative works Fifty Thousand Words and The Birth of a Poet: Han Dong's Poetry Lessons show a sustained engagement with poetry writing and poetry education—the former presenting reflections in an extended essayistic form, the latter reading like course lectures addressed to poetry learners. The novels Disguise and Family Business Inheritance: Interviews with Second-Generation Heirs turn to social themes, the first focusing on characters' circumstances and questions of identity, the second using the interview format to examine family enterprises and generational succession. Overall, Han Dong's writing maintains a tension between poetry and social observation, with a restrained, concrete language that values experience and detail, suited to readers interested in contemporary poetry and social documentary writing.
