The New Generation
Tags
Summary
In Beiping during the December 9th student movement, Chen Xuehai, who comes from a landlord family in Harbin, is still a bookworm who "reads only the books of sages" after entering university in Beiping.
Yet the fall of his native Northeast gives him a righteous hatred of the Japanese invaders, while the progressive young woman Wei Ling awakens in him a longing for love; at her persuasion he joins the march.
Though he becomes a "hero," he remains doubtful and wavering about the revolution. Guided by Wei Ling and other patriotic youths and teachers, he gradually lets go of his illusions about the corrupt and weak government and takes an active part in the student movement.
As the revolutionary movement unfolds, Chen Xuehai and Wei Ling gradually build a revolutionary bond that goes beyond love; parted by different assignments, they carry on the revolutionary struggle.
Editor's review
As an editor, I believe the book's value lies in its deep "contemporaneity." It is not a nostalgic tale of youth but a literary gaze and reflection on the "present" as it unfolds. The author escapes labeled, genre-bound writing; the characters are real and tangible, and their struggles and choices are closely interwoven with such issues as macro social change, family generations, and technological revolution, together forming a vivid spiritual portrait of the era. Reading The New Generation, readers can feel strong resonance and also gain a valuable sense of distance from which to examine themselves and their times. The book's literary texture is solid and its language resonant; in plain narration it often sparks thought. It is a sincere work that combines readability with intellectual depth.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Observers and thinkers interested in contemporary Chinese social change and youth culture
- Young readers at a life transition who long to find resonance and reference in literature
- Literature lovers who enjoy delicate psychological portrayal and realist narrative style
- Parents or educators who hope to understand the spiritual world and behavioral logic of the next generation
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking strong plot, fast pace, or highly dramatic stories
- Pragmatists expecting clear life guidance or success-formula answers
Reading tips
- It is best read in a relatively quiet environment; the book's many psychological descriptions and details need patience to savor.
- Try comparing the characters' situations with your own experiences or those of people around you; you may gain deeper insight.
- There is no need to rush through it; reading chapter by chapter allows you to feel the power accumulated in its quiet narration.
About the publisher
Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 出版前言
- 新生代第一部“一二·九”发刊小引
- 第一部
- 一
- 二
- 三
- 四
- 五
- 六
- 七
- 八
- 九
- 十
- 十一
- 十二
- 第二部（未完稿）
- 一 春天
- 二 小小的流星
- 三 死刑
- 四 “让战斗的活着”
- 五 奇怪的出丧
- 六 消极的虫子
- 七 友谊
- 八 两地
- 九 “我性躁，等不及啊！”
- 十 董小倩
- 十一 少校
FAQ
Does this book tell the story of a particular industry or a particular group of people?
Is the novel's tone gloomy and oppressive or positive and uplifting?
Does the author Qi Tong have other well-known works?
Related on WeRead
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Qi Tong is an author about whom limited public information is available. Only one of his works, The New Generation, is currently held in the collection. According to its common classification, the book is regarded as a social novel, which broadly indicates its subject matter: it takes social life as its background and focuses on the circumstances and changes of characters in a realistic setting. Because details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and an English name are not clearly recorded, his personal history and the full scope of his writing are difficult to establish, and the present introduction can only center on this single work. As a social novel, The New Generation is likely to present everyday people and events in a realistic manner, using concrete plots to reflect social relations and the atmosphere of the times rather than pursuing sensational stories. Given the scarcity of material, it is more reasonable to focus on the work's subject matter and realistic orientation than to speculate about the author's life.
