Scooping Up the Moon cover

Scooping Up the Moon

Rating 3.4
Word count
39K words
Chapters
25
ISBN
9787566807496

Tags

Summary

Good wine is brewed; good children are raised. Every elder—parents, teachers, and relatives alike—embodies an unwritten pedagogy, teaching and influencing children through their own words and deeds. Only healthy families, healthy parents, and healthy teachers can raise healthy children. Teach while "ill," and the child will inevitably be infected. Real life—its environment, people, language, childhood moments, and childhood joys—offers rich material, giving the author ample creative space. In The Moon in the Well, the grandfather, grandmother, teacher, Hao, the monkey, Leilei, and others are all familiar figures whose likenesses can be seen everywhere. Through vivid language and delicate, lively description, the book subtly draws readers into its narrative atmosphere, allowing them to savor the author's intent and the characters' circumstances, and from this gain insight into reality.

Editor's review

The Moon in the Well is a realist novel by Tan Yuquan. With a deep and plain brush, it sketches the social landscape and individual fates against a particular historical backdrop. The book does not rely on novelty or convoluted plotting; instead, it is devoted to rendering the true texture of life and the subtle recesses of human nature, with solid craft and restrained emotion. Reading it, one often feels a weighty sense of the era and a profound gaze upon ordinary people's lives. Through meticulous depiction of the characters' fates, the author reflects the pangs of social transformation and the resilient stance of individuals within it. As a work of realism, its value lies in offering a quiet window for observation and reflection. It provides no cheap consolation or simple answers, but leads readers close to the warmth and complexity of that history. For readers seeking literary authenticity and intellectual depth, this is a work worth immersive, careful reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers interested in twentieth-century Chinese social change and the living conditions of ordinary people
  • Literature lovers who prefer realism and realistic attention to the details of daily life
  • Readers who wish to observe society and reflect on human nature through literature
  • Readers who can appreciate plain, restrained yet powerful narrative language

Not a good fit for

  • Entertainment-oriented readers seeking fast pacing, strong plot conflicts, and sensory stimulation
  • Readers entirely unfamiliar with the specific historical background and lacking basic knowledge of or interest in it

Reading tips

  1. Immersive reading in a relatively quiet, undisturbed setting is recommended to better appreciate the rhythm and atmosphere of the prose.
  2. Readers may draw on relevant historical background knowledge, but need not rush toward definitive historical conclusions; rather, they should focus on individuals' concrete situations amid the tide of the times.
  3. The plot unfolds steadily and the characters are finely drawn; the book suits unhurried reading in stages, savoring its details and emotional sedimentation.

About the publisher

Jinan University Press China · Founded in 1989

Jinan University Press is a comprehensive university press known for publishing in language and writing, history and culture, and medicine. Judging from the 2,481 titles in the database, its publishing focuses on language and writing research, the compilation of unearthed documents, Chinese culture and Eastern philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine, and grassroots medical standards. Representative books include the Chinese Dictionary (Second Edition), the series on the collected interpretation and modern translation of Warring States documents from the Language Services Series and the series on the language of unearthed documents, Chinese Cultural Psychology (6th Edition), Illustrated Compendium of Traditional Chinese Medicine Processing Techniques, and Construction and Technical Standards for Standardized Bronchoscopy Rooms in Primary-Level Pediatrics. In terms of authors, scholars such as Zhu Cheng, Zhang Yujin, Wang Fengyan, Zheng Hong, Cao Hui and Ma Zhiguo form its author base in language and documents, cultural psychology, and traditional Chinese medicine. In terms of publishing characteristics, the press emphasizes the collected interpretation and modern translation of unearthed documents and language service research, while also systematically organizing cultural psychology and medical techniques. Public information on specific matters such as overseas Chinese-language education is limited and is therefore not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 戏水
  3. 枪声咯咯响
  4. 游园
  5. 捞月亮
  6. 树公公
  7. 寻宝
  8. 会飞的“虾”
  9. 乐在“棋”中
  10. 小丑
  11. 我是一条鱼
  12. 朱叔叔他们
  13. 出格的游戏
  14. 白色世界
  15. 拜月
  16. 说说笑笑
  17. 文立哥
  18. 猴子演猴子
  19. 小白到我家
  20. 外婆是笑佛
  21. 我“喂”的“肥猪”
  22. 听话的外公
  23. 唧唧歌
  24. 当年的孩童
  25. 后记

FAQ

What are the main content and themes of this book?
This is a realist novel that chiefly depicts the rises and falls and living conditions of ordinary characters against a particular historical backdrop, reflecting social change and individual resilience. Its themes are profound, focusing on human nature, survival, and the relationship between the individual and the era.
What is author Tan Yuquan's writing style like?
Tan Yuquan's style leans toward plain, steady realism, emphasizing the authenticity of life's details and the portrayal of characters' psychology. The language is plain and restrained, the emotional expression subtle yet powerful, imbued with a strong sense of life and the marks of the era.
Is this book heavy or difficult to read?
Given its realistic and profound subject and style, the book's overall emotional tone is weighty and serious, requiring some patience and willingness to reflect. It is not light entertainment, but for readers willing to engage deeply with the text, its intellectual and literary value is worth exploring.

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About the author

谭玉权 Author

Tan Yuquan is an author for whom limited public information is available. The only confirmed title in the database is a single novel, Fishing for the Moon, which is categorized as a social novel. This classification suggests that the work leans toward realistic life and social relations rather than purely imaginative legend or genre-based storytelling. The title itself carries a clear metaphorical quality, possibly hinting at the pursuit of something difficult to attain or at the gap between ideals and reality—an image often used in social fiction to frame characters' fates and their historical circumstances. Because birth and death dates, nationality, a chronology of works, and personal experience are not clearly recorded, a full assessment of Tan Yuquan's overall writing style and literary standing remains difficult. On the available evidence, Tan Yuquan's profile is presented mainly through this single work, which gives readers a sense of the author's inclination toward social themes and toward approaching realistic narrative through concrete imagery.

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