The Sea of Regret

Wu Jianren赤尔斯 · ChinaAug 2024

3.8

Word count: 47K words
Chapters: 11

Summary

Hatred of the Sea is a chapter-novel set against the Boxer Rebellion, telling the marital tragedies of two young couples. The book reflects strong feudal attitudes and takes a negative stance toward the Boxers.

Chen Jilin, a secretary in the Ministry of Works, has betrothed his eldest son to Dihua, daughter of his fellow townsman Zhang Heting; his second son, Rui, is betrothed to Juanjuan, daughter of his cousin Wang Letian. The three families live in the capital, and the two young couples have studied together since childhood—playmates innocent and inseparable, it seemed they were destined to be united forever.

Unexpectedly, when the turmoil of 1900 broke out, Dihua's father was managing business in Shanghai, so Jilin sent Bohe away from the capital with Heting's wife, Madam Bai, and Dihua to escape the chaos. On the way they were separated by the crowd… Amid the chaos of war, the two young couples find their dreams of union hard to fulfill. Where will this tragic story lead?

Editor's review

Hatred of the Sea is a chapter-novel by Wu Jianren set against the Boxer Rebellion, centering on the marital tragedies of two young couples separated and scattered amid the chaos of war. The word "hatred" in the title speaks both to the sorrow of parting brought on by troubled times and to the characters' bewilderment as they hesitate between propriety and feeling. The author sets individual fates within the upheaval of a great era; episodes of flight, separation, and searching unfold at a brisk pace, and the characters' choices and hesitations in their wanderings are rendered with genuine immediacy and considerable emotional force. It should be noted that the book carries strong feudal attitudes and takes a negative stance toward the Boxers—a reflection of the author's standpoint in a particular era. Today's readers would do well to approach it as a text in its historical context, appreciating the moving quality of its emotional writing while maintaining a critical distance from its views. As a sample of late-Qing fiction, it offers reference value for understanding the social mentality and the literary landscape of the time.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late-Qing fiction and modern Chinese literature
Readers who enjoy tales of separation and reunion in troubled times and emotional tragedy
Readers seeking a fictional window into the social panorama of the Boxer Rebellion
Readers concerned with the conflict between traditional propriety and personal feeling

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a happy ending or light entertainment
Readers sensitive to the book's feudal attitudes and period standpoint
Readers who prefer modern vernacular and fast-paced narrative

Reading tips

Grasp the basic outline of the Boxer Rebellion first; the main text is easier to enter then.
Note how the two couples make different choices amid separation, and compare their circumstances.
Keep a critical distance from the book's negative stance toward the Boxers, reading it in historical context.
After finishing, compare it with similar late-Qing novels to appreciate what period writing has in common.

About the publisher

赤尔斯 China · Founded in 2022

Chiers is a publishing brand used by Beijing Chiers Culture Media Co., Ltd., established in 2022; publicly available information is limited. Judging from the 13 titles in its catalogue, its publishing focus centres on classical Chinese literature and traditional culture, covering ancient philosophy, historical works, huaben fiction and poetic texts. Representative titles include Ge Hong's Baopuzi, Ye Longli's History of the Khitan State, Qu You's New Tales Under the Lamplight, Hong Pian's Qingping Shantang Huaben, Zhang Zhidong's Shumu Dawen and Ma Zong's Yilin, alongside note-style fiction such as Yue Jun's Ershilu and social novels such as Jiang Guangci's Short Trousers. Its author resources consist mainly of the authors of public-domain classics, and its publishing character lies in reissuing ancient works and classic literature in e-book form, with attention to the systematic organisation of source texts and the popularisation of traditional cultural knowledge.

版权信息
第一回订婚姻掌判代通词遭离乱荒村撄小极
第二回情脉脉芳心增忐忑乱烘烘蓦地散东西
第三回紫竹林无处访鸿泥八百户暂时驻芳趾
第四回侍亲娘荒店觅茶汤寻夫婿通衢张字帖
第五回惊恶梦旅夜苦萦愁展客衾芳心痴变喜
第六回火熊熊大劫天津卫病恹恹权住济宁州
第七回巧应对安稳出危途误因循夫妻遭毒手
第八回论用情正言砭恶俗归大限慈母撇娇娃
第九回甘落魄天涯羁荡子冒嫌疑情女谏顽郎
第十回遁空门惘惘怅情天遭故剑忙忙逃恨海

FAQ

What is the background of the story in Hatred of the Sea?

The novel is set against the Boxer Rebellion, telling of two young couples from three families living in the capital who are forced apart amid the chaos and flee from place to place; marital tragedy and the upheaval of the times are interwoven, with individual fates always subject to the larger upheaval.

Is the book's attitude toward the Boxers objective?

The book takes a clearly negative stance toward the Boxers, reflecting the standpoint and limitations of the author's era. Today's readers should treat it as writing from a particular historical context, understanding the text's emotions while keeping independent judgment in light of the historical facts.

Is the ending tragic? Will it be too heavy to read?

The overall tone is sorrowful; the two young couples' unions are difficult to fulfill in troubled times, and reading it does bring a sense of melancholy. Those who prefer light, happy stories should be prepared; yet it is precisely this incompleteness that makes the work's portrayal of individual circumstances in troubled times feel so genuine.

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About the author

Wu Jianren Author · Chinese · 1866–1910

Wu Jianren (1866–1910), originally named Baozhen and also known as Woyao, courtesy name Xiaoyun, was a native of Foshan Town, Nanhai, Guangdong, and called himself "Wo Foshanren." A leading writer of late Qing exposé fiction, he drew on officialdom, the business world, and everyday urban life, writing with a sharp edge that combines the detail of social fiction with satirical force. His representative work, Strange Events Eyewitnessed over Twenty Years, links numerous characters and incidents through a continuous first-person account, broadly exposing the ills of late Qing society and leaving a lasting mark on modern Chinese fiction. He also wrote more than thirty novels, including A History of Pain, The Strange Case of Nine Murders, and Sea of Regret. Fifty-five of his works are held in this collection, spanning classical literature, folk literature, and classic works, which shows the breadth of his subjects and the enduring popularity of his writing.