Great Waves (Part Two)

Li JierenFeb 2022

4.2

Word count: 56K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

This volume shifts its narrative focus to the upper bureaucracy and historical figures, recreating with grandeur the 1911 Railway Protection Movement in Sichuan and depicting the surging revolutionary movement and the customs and popular life it influenced, with a strong local flavor. The book reflects a turbulent era of restless hearts and portrays a panorama of people caught in the upheaval, and it is of great value for the study of dialect literature. The novel successfully creates typical characters such as Chu Yong, Hao Yousan, and Huang Lansheng, blending their personal experiences with historical change, and delicately describes daily life, commercial activity, clothing culture, and local specialties of the time, rich in Bashu cultural color.

Editor's review

As the middle volume of the trilogy, Da Bo, Volume Two develops character relationships and advances the historical atmosphere. Li Jieren places his narrative focus between the upper bureaucracy and historical figures, recreating with grandeur the surge of the 1911 Sichuan Railway Protection Movement while grounding its impact in customs and daily life. Characters such as Chu Yong, Hao Yousan, and Huang Lansheng continue to unfold their choices and circumstances in this volume, their personal experiences interwoven with historical change, so that the reading conveys both the tension of a turbulent era and the fine texture of local Bashu life. The descriptions of daily living, commerce, clothing, and local specialties give the novel both literary quality and the feel of a custom chronicle; the use of dialect also provides vivid material for the study of dialect literature. This volume is best read continuously with the first, noting changes in relationships and the quickening pace of events, and appreciating how the author writes a great era from a local perspective.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in reading modern Chinese history and literature together
Readers interested in Bashu local culture and descriptions of customs
University students studying narrative technique in modern Chinese novels
Readers who enjoy multi-volume works and are willing to follow characters and an era through change

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a single protagonist and a fast, linear story
Readers with no interest in the historical background around 1911
Readers who find texts with heavy dialect difficult to read

Reading tips

Read continuously with Volume One; first map the character relationships, then enter this volume's unfolding events.
Focus on the movement's concrete effects in local society, and read alongside a simple historical timeline.
Treat details of customs as a way into the characters' circumstances, and note scenes that leave a strong impression.
After finishing this volume, pause briefly, review how the characters' choices have changed, and then go on to Volume Three.

第16章
第17章
第18章
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第22章
第23章
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第29章

FAQ

What role does Da Bo, Volume Two play in the whole work?

It is the middle volume of the trilogy, carrying forward the characters and background established in Volume One and advancing the plot related to the Railway Protection Movement. Character relationships develop further in this volume and the atmosphere of the times gradually tightens, preparing for the climax of Volume Three; reading continuously makes its structural significance clearer.

Are the bureaucrats and historical figures in the book real people?

The available material shows that the novel creates typical characters such as Chu Yong, Hao Yousan, and Huang Lansheng and blends their experiences with historical change. The narrative focus involves upper bureaucrats and historical figures, but whether particular characters are real or fictional should be judged from the text; readers should not equate novel characters directly with real people in historical sources.

Does reading this novel help in understanding the Railway Protection Movement?

It helps, but it is a literary presentation, not a history textbook. The novel recreates the movement's surge with grandeur and shows its impact on customs and popular life. For a systematic understanding of the events, it is better to read it alongside a concise history.

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About the author

Li Jieren Author · Chinese · 1891–1962

Li Jieren (1891–1962), originally named Li Jiaxiang, was a native of Chengdu, Sichuan, and a modern Chinese writer and translator of French literature. In his early years he studied and worked in France; after returning to China, he devoted himself to writing, translation, and industry, and served as vice mayor of Chengdu and vice chairman of the Sichuan Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles. His writings are set in Chengdu and focus on the social changes of the late Qing and early Republican periods. His representative River Trilogy—Ripples in the Stagnant Water, Before the Storm, and The Great Wave—portrays local customs and the turmoil of the times with delicate detail, combining the realistic depth of social fiction with a strong regional flavor. The collection includes 23 of his works, covering classic novels and literary collections. His parallel careers in translation and writing make him a notable figure in modern Chinese–foreign literary exchange.