The Enemy

Name: The Enemy
ISBN: 9787533958145

Ge FeiZhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaMar 2020

4.4

Word count: 113K words
Chapters: 73
ISBN: 9787533958145

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Summary

The Enemy is Ge Fei's debut novel, written in 1991 and regarded as the first full-length novel in the contemporary avant-garde fiction camp. The novel begins with a mysterious fire spreading through the Zhao family; the wealthy landlord Zhao Shaozhong inherits his grandfather's estate along with a list of suspects written on rice paper, and continues the Zhao family's generations-long search: was it heaven's will, or did someone deliberately set the fire to destroy the family? Who is the enemy? Yet the 'enemy' never appears; instead, a series of horrific and deadly events occur in the Zhao household. Zhao Shaozhong's wife; his sons Zhao Long and Zhao Hu; his daughters Meimei and Liuliu; his grandson 'Monkey'—none can escape bizarre deaths, and the fates of all the characters seem manipulated by a mysterious, unknowable force. That hidden enemy and the vacant truth shroud the entire family in an atmosphere of horror and dread. The enemy never truly appears, yet seems to be everywhere. In this dark and trembling experience of fear, modern man's puzzlement and ignorance regarding the predicament of existence and the state of life become an even more startling proposition.

Editor's review

Ge Fei's The Enemy is not as straightforward as its title suggests; it is a novel that requires readers to immerse themselves and mobilize all their senses to 'feel' rather than simply 'read.' This work is an important exploration preceding Ge Fei's early 'Jiangnan Trilogy'; its labyrinthine narrative, its inquiry into the nature of existence, and the oppressive sense of fate pervading the whole constitute its unique literary value.

The core of the book is not a concrete 'enemy' waiting to be revealed but the psychological reality brought about by the very concept of 'the enemy.' The story revolves around a mysterious fire at the Zhao family in a Jiangnan town; the fire not only destroys the family's symbol of wealth but also ignites seeds of fear, suspicion, and self-destruction that span generations. With an extremely restrained touch, Ge Fei depicts the Zhao descendants' state of existence under the shadow of 'the enemy'—everyone may be a suspect in others' eyes, and everyone lives under surveillance and self-imprisonment. This sense of crisis, deeply rooted in the crevices of daily life, elevates the novel beyond a simple family saga or suspense story to a profound metaphor for the dark side of human nature, historical trauma, and existential loneliness.

In literary technique, Ge Fei displays the typical features of a representative avant-garde writer:跳跃 and blurred narrative time (the frequent use of 'that year,' 'later'), deliberate gaps and ruptures in plot logic, and a wealth of symbolic imagery (fire, rain, wells, mirrors). These techniques together construct a world where reality and illusion are hard to distinguish and meaning floats suspended; it offers no clear answers but invites readers to participate in constructing meaning. This reading experience may bring initial confusion, but once you enter its rhythm, you can experience a truth close to nightmare and a powerful aesthetic tension.

For understanding Ge Fei's creative genealogy, The Enemy is a key transition from his early formal experiments to later grand historical narratives such as Peach Blossom Paradise and Dream of Mountains and Rivers. It retains the sharpness and uncertainty of avant-garde literature while faintly showing his adaptation of traditional narrative resources (such as the theme of family decline in Dream of the Red Chamber). Reading this book is more like a double adventure of intellect and sensibility; it challenges our habitual causal logic and forces us to confront those unspoken yet ubiquitous threats and anxieties in life.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Veteran literary readers with a strong interest in avant-garde literature and narrative experiments who enjoy deciphering textual labyrinths
Literary researchers or enthusiasts who wish to understand Ge Fei's creative trajectory and explore his transition from 'avant-garde' to 'traditional'
Readers who prefer existential themes and continually ponder the subtleties of human nature, the unpredictability of fate, and the predicament of existence
Patient readers who can accept open endings and suspended meaning and derive a unique aesthetic experience from them

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a traditional suspense or family story with tight plotting, clear logic, and a definite ending
Casual readers who prefer light reading and seek clear emotional resonance or spiritual comfort

Reading tips

Try giving up the obsessive question of 'who is the enemy' and instead focus on how the concept of 'the enemy' erodes characters' psychology and relationships like a virus.
While reading, note the recurring images (such as fire and rain) and details; they are often the keys to understanding characters' psychology and the novel's themes.
After reading, set the book aside for a while and reread some chapters later; new discoveries and understandings often emerge.

About the publisher

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

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.

版权信息
引子
第一章
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第二章
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第三章
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第四章
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第五章
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第六章
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尾声

FAQ

What is this book's Douban rating? What kind of work is it?

According to checks, Ge Fei's The Enemy has received high praise on the Douban platform (the specific score may fluctuate, usually above 8), and is widely recognized as one of the representative works of contemporary Chinese avant-garde literature. It is not a pure suspense or detective novel but a literary novel full of metaphor, focusing on psychological depiction and existential exploration.

What kind of writer is Ge Fei?

Ge Fei (real name Liu Yong) is a renowned contemporary Chinese writer and a professor at Tsinghua University. He is one of the core representatives of the 'avant-garde literature' wave in the 1980s, alongside Yu Hua and Su Tong. His works are known for masterly narrative technique, profound philosophical speculation, and deep insight into history and existence; his later works, such as the 'Jiangnan Trilogy,' have won numerous important literary awards.

Is this book difficult to read? What preparation is needed?

The book presents a certain reading challenge. It does not follow a linear, clearly causal traditional narrative model; the plot has many gaps, and meaning requires active construction by the reader. It is recommended for readers with some experience of modernist or avant-garde literature. No special background knowledge is required, but an open mind and acceptance of the text's ambiguity and polysemy are essential.

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About the author

Ge Fei Author · Chinese · 1964

Ge Fei, whose real name is Liu Yong, was born in Dantu, Jiangsu, in 1964. He is one of the representative writers of China's avant-garde literature and currently a professor in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Tsinghua University. His writing emerged in the avant-garde wave of the 1980s, and he is known for narrative experimentation, labyrinthine treatments of time, and the uncertainty of memory, which give him a distinctive place in contemporary Chinese literature. His representative works include Brown Birds, Renmian Taohua (Peach Blossom Paradise), Shanhe Ru Meng (Mountains and Rivers Dreaming), Chun Jin Jiangnan (Spring Ends in Jiangnan), and Wang Chunfeng (Looking at the Spring Breeze). His Jiangnan Trilogy traces a century of family fate as a reflection of social change. He has received the Lu Xun Literary Prize, the Lao She Literary Award, and the ninth Mao Dun Literature Prize. Thirteen of his works are included in the collection, spanning classic works, social novels, and prose, showing that his writing crosses fiction and essays and combines avant-garde sensibility with realistic concern.