Shanben
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Summary
The novel tells the legendary story of a place called Wozhen deep in the Qinling Mountains during the turmoil of the Republican era. In the 1920s, rival forces proliferated and warfare was constant across the Qinling region; Wozhen struggled to protect itself but was ultimately destroyed, while the Qinling Mountains remained as before, vast and unchanged—the fate of people in a great era is cause for sighing. Beyond tracing the rise and fall of Wozhen, Mountain Roots is also an encyclopedia of Qinling's plants and animals.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy Jia Pingwa's works and rural narratives
- Readers interested in the regional culture of the Qinling Mountains and modern local history
- Literary readers willing to read slowly and appreciate descriptions of landscape and customs
- Readers concerned with the fate of small towns and ordinary people in turbulent times
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer fast pacing, strong plot, and dense dramatic conflict
- Those unused to high-density dialect, custom, and landscape description
- Readers hoping for a frontal war epic or clear historical conclusions
Reading tips
- Read the opening first to adjust to the language density and local flavor; don't rush the plot.
- Jot down Guozhen's main characters and factional relations to follow the town's power struggles.
- Treat the flora and fauna passages as a separate thread, reading them against human fortunes.
- After finishing, revisit the chapters before and after Guozhen's destruction to sense the structural intent of "the mountain is still the mountain."
About the publisher
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.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 题记
- 正文一
- 正文二
- 正文三
- 正文四
- 后记
FAQ
What does the title "Shan Ben" mean?
Is this novel mainly about battle scenes?
Are the many passages on flora and fauna mere digressions?
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About the author
Jia Pingwa, originally named Jia Pingwa, was born in Danfeng, Shaanxi, in 1952. A contemporary writer, he graduated from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Northwest University in 1975 and has served as chairman of the Shaanxi Writers Association and vice chairman of the China Writers Association. His work spans social novels and prose, including Ruined City, Qin Opera, Ancient Furnace, Shan Ben and Zhan Zuo; Qin Opera won the seventh Mao Dun Literature Prize. The collection also includes Solo Walking, Moon Traces: Selected Prose of Jia Pingwa (English), Remembering the Wolf, Lao Sheng and Dai Deng, among twenty-six titles. His novels are rooted in rural life and social reality, while his prose is plain and natural, revealing character in everyday detail.
