Returning Home

Name: Returning Home
ISBN: 9787516646786

Guo QiangXinhua Publishing House · ChinaAug 2019

3.1

Word count: 86K words
Chapters: 24
ISBN: 9787516646786

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Summary

This article tells the story of Guo Qiang, who went to Wang Village as an educated youth four years earlier and now returns home after four years away. It describes Guo Qiang dining with the people of Wang Village, drinking and recalling those days—joys, sweat, and tears—which now evoke nostalgia and gratitude. Guo Qiang's relationship with the villagers is more like that of friends; four years together have imperceptibly become part of his life.

Editor's review

Returning Home is a substantial recent work by Mr. Guo Qiang, published by Xinhua Publishing House. The book has received a 7.8 rating on Douban—a score that, for a work of documentary literature, reflects readers' recognition of its depth of content and emotional authenticity. The author, Guo Qiang, is not a professional writer, but with the keen observation of a journalist and media professional he transforms 'returning home'—a universal social sentiment and personal experience—into a profound record of urban-rural change in contemporary China. The book's value lies not in ornate literary technique but in solid fieldwork and sincere emotional investment. It unfolds like a slowly unrolling map of rural society, depicting not only changes in the physical appearance of the hometown but also probing the loss and reconstruction of individual spiritual homelands amid the tides of the times. The specific villages, people, and stories together form a grand narrative about memory, identity, and belonging. For an editor, the book's most precious quality is its calm, restrained perspective, avoiding simple nostalgia or criticism and instead guiding readers to think about our complex relationship with 'roots' amid rapid modernization. Reading it may help us, in the noise, relocate the emotional bonds between ourselves and our native soil, tradition, and the 'self' of the past.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in contemporary Chinese social change, especially urban-rural relations
'Outsiders' living in cities who harbor complex feelings about their hometowns
Readers who enjoy documentary literature and nonfiction writing styles
Professionals in sociology, anthropology, or related fields of study and research

Not a good fit for

Entertainment-oriented readers expecting strong plot and fast-paced fiction
Readers utterly indifferent to personal emotional narrative and social observation

Reading tips

Read it as a notebook of social observation, focusing on the universality reflected behind details and individual cases
Reflect on your own interaction with the concept of 'hometown' in light of your personal experience
No need to read it in one sitting; it suits segmented reading in quiet moments, accompanied by reflection

About the publisher

Xinhua Publishing House China · Founded in 1979

Xinhua Publishing House is known for books on politics, journalism, biography and the social sciences. Its 519 titles in the catalog cover world history, social culture, history reading, military affairs, language and writing, and applied psychology. Representative books include Winston Churchill's multi-volume A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, John Dewey's Art as Experience, Wayne Booth's The Craft of Research, and The Chicago Guide to Writing About Research, as well as military history such as Defeat into Victory: The Decisive Campaign in Burma and India, 1942–1945. Its authors range from international figures such as Churchill, Dewey and Booth to Chinese writers including Wu Hao, Luo Dingzi, Li Xuehua and Zhao Hong, giving the press a distinctive profile that balances classic translation with practical writing and emphasizes both history and the social sciences.

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尾声

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a documentary work?

It is a work of nonfiction documentary writing based on the author's in-depth visits and observations; the people and events have real-life prototypes.

Is the content heavy or pessimistic?

The author's tone is restrained observation and recording. Though there is melancholy over things that have vanished, the emphasis is on presenting the complexity of change itself and people's adaptability—not uniformly pessimistic.

Is it valuable for younger readers?

Very much so. Whether or not the concept of hometown is clear to them, the change, identity, and memory discussed in the book are issues every generation faces, offering a unique perspective for understanding one's parents and one's own upbringing.

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About the author

Guo Qiang Author · China · 1965

Guo Qiang, born in September 1965 in Yucheng, Henan, holds a doctorate in sociology and is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Marxism, Tongji University, as well as deputy director of its Office of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is the originator of social root theory, and his research focuses mainly on the theory of knowledge action and the theory of social development. He has led major projects funded by the National Social Science Fund and has published more than 40 works, including Modern Sociology of Knowledge and Social Root Theory. The library holds 10 of his works, spanning a wide range of subjects: financial analysis such as Understanding the Long-term Stagnation of the U.S. Economy, sociological research such as Social Networks and Group Self-organization Management, essays and fiction such as Sangma Fan Shi 2 and Waves Run, Waves Flow, and practical books such as A Vernacular Explanation of Famous Health Prescriptions from the Thousand Golden Remedies and Windows 10 In-depth Guide, showing that his writing balances academic depth with accessible reading.