Going to Shanghai

Name: Going to Shanghai
ISBN: 9787533979157

水笑莹Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJul 2025

3.0

Word count: 108K words
Chapters: 11
ISBN: 9787533979157

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Summary

Head for the big city, or return to a small town? It is the story of small-town girls breaking out, and also the growing pains of women caught in cycles. *To Shanghai* is the debut short story collection by young writer Shui Xiaoying, comprising eight stories including "A Century of Harmony," "Purple River Cart," "Going to Disneyland," and "Night Cherry Blossoms on Century Avenue." Shui Xiaoying's work focuses on women struggling between Shanghai and Wuhu, juxtaposing the striving of two generations of women—those born in the 1960s and those born in the 1990s—to reveal the struggles and dilemmas they face between "going to the city" and "returning home." The women in these stories vary in age and occupation: there are graduate migrants in Shanghai, small-town teachers, live-in nannies, private tutors... Yet they all share the same longing to "go to Shanghai" and attain independence and freedom.

Editor's review

*To Shanghai* is a novel by young writer Shui Xiaoying that focuses on the survival conditions and spiritual predicaments of contemporary urban youth. With a calm and restrained touch, the work depicts the ten-year journey of the protagonist, Xiaoya, from a small southern town to Shanghai for study, work, and life. Through her emotional entanglements with several friends and the changes in their fates, it reflects the collective anxiety and identity quest of Chinese urban youth under the tide of globalization. Shui Xiaoying's writing continues her characteristic fine observation, excelling at capturing subtle emotional shifts in characters and the detailed textures of urban life, tightly interweaving personal fate with the changes of the times. The novel is not only a story about "Shanghai drifters" but also a mirror reflecting the spiritual world of contemporary youth—between material prosperity and spiritual wandering, under the impact of traditional values and modernity, how do people find their positioning and the meaning of life? The value of the work lies in its authenticity and universality; it does not deliberately exaggerate the glittering surface of Shanghai but delves into the city's texture, revealing those ordinary souls who struggle, feel lost, yet keep moving forward behind the glamour. Reading this novel is like conducting a deep urban psychological exploration; it invites readers to ponder together: when we "go to Shanghai" or any big city, what are we truly pursuing? A better life, or a lost self?

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in contemporary urban literature and youth culture
Young people who are or have been drifting in big cities and have thought about identity
Literature lovers who enjoy delicate psychological descriptions and realistic narrative styles
Readers concerned with women's growth and changes in fate

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot and fast-paced entertaining fiction
Readers expecting to see luxurious Shanghai life or romantic love stories

Reading tips

It is recommended to read in a relatively quiet environment to appreciate the delicate emotional flow in the text
You can read in comparison with your own urban life experiences and reflect on the universal questions raised by the work
After reading, you might record your views on the characters' choices, which helps deepen your understanding of the work's themes

About the publisher

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House is a Chinese publisher specializing in literary publishing. Judging from the 808 titles in the database, its publishing areas cover world classics, foreign literature, social novels, folk literature and classic works, as well as modern and contemporary literature and prose. Representative titles include foreign literary translations such as Anna Karenina, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, In Praise of Shadows and The Complete Tragedies and Comedies of Shakespeare, alongside classic works by Lao She and Lu Xun such as Camel Xiangzi, Teahouse and Wandering. Its authors and translators include Leo Tolstoy, Cao Ying, Lao She, Yukio Mishima, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Zhu Shenghao. The press emphasizes the translation and introduction of classic texts and the compilation of native literary works, giving equal weight to Chinese and foreign literature. Owing to limited public information, its specific series and editorial policies are not elaborated here.

版权信息
附近的生活与当下的世情（序）
百年好合
珠穆朗玛
去迪士尼
洄游
鸟居
休眠火山
紫河车
世纪大道的夜樱
后记悬浮术

FAQ

Is this book an autobiographical novel?

Although the author Shui Xiaoying lives in Shanghai, she explicitly states that the work is fictional. The novel draws on some era experiences and observations, but the characters and plots are artistic constructions, intended to present the shared experience of a generation rather than a personal memoir.

What is the core theme explored in the novel?

The core theme is the spiritual wandering and identity crisis of contemporary youth in modern cities. Through the fates of several protagonists, the work explores the tensions between dreams and reality, hometown and city, tradition and modernity, and how individuals position themselves amid tremendous historical changes.

What are the characteristics of the book's writing style?

Shui Xiaoying's writing style is known for being calm, delicate, and restrained. She excels at using plain description to portray the dramatic in daily life; her language is concise and full of tension, without excessive emotional rendering, yet she precisely conveys characters' inner worlds and the atmosphere of the times through details and scenes.

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About the author

水笑莹 Author

Shui Xiaoying is an author about whom publicly available information is currently limited, and further details about her writing remain to be supplemented. Among the works held in the collection is her social novel To Shanghai, which serves as the main basis for understanding her writing. The title points toward urban migration and the experience of city life, placing the work in the category of social fiction; it suggests an attention to the circumstances and mobility of individuals in contemporary society, with a distinctly urban focus. Because confirmed information about the author's life, nationality, and educational background is not available, no further judgment can be made about her writing career or overall style. Based on the existing material, Shui Xiaoying approaches reality through fiction, using the directional proposition of "going to Shanghai" to present the relationship between people and the city. Through this work, readers may grasp her narrative perspective and thematic concerns; should new works or further information emerge, her development as a writer would be worth following.