Between Coming and Going
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
From an editor's perspective, the book's greatest value lies in the atmosphere it creates. Shi Xiao does not pursue dramatic conflict but reaches into the folds of everyday life, using seemingly ordinary moments—a chance encounter, an unfinished conversation, a decision made as one turns away—to refract the vast turbulence and desolation within her characters. Whether urban white-collar workers, artists, or drifters, her figures all carry a certain sense of suspension, wavering between the longing for intimacy and the need for distance, between the pursuit of freedom and the fear of loneliness. This precise rendering of the modern spiritual condition gives the book its distinctive literary appeal.
Unlike the currently popular "fast-satisfaction" or "sweet romance" narratives, Between Coming and Going has a calm, even slightly detached tone. It offers no clear answers or redemption for emotional problems; like an honest mirror, it reflects the complex truth of relationships: love and calculation coexist, tenderness and hurt intertwine, and meeting and parting are two sides of the same coin. This refusal to evade life's complexity makes reading the book feel like deep self-reflection and emotional inquiry. For readers seeking spiritual resonance and literary texture, it is a work worth savoring again and again.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in a deep observation of contemporary urban emotions and relationships
- Literary fans who prefer delicate psychological portraiture and atmospheric narrative
- Urban readers who often feel suspended and alienated in life and hope for resonance and understanding
- Readers who appreciate a calm, restrained style that is neither sentimental nor manipulative
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking strong plotting, fast pacing, and clear resolutions
- Readers hoping to find purely light entertainment or emotional comfort in reading
Reading tips
- Read in a relatively quiet, undisturbed setting so as to enter the atmosphere the text creates
- Try reading the seven stories separately, with intervals between them; each deserves its own afterthought
- Pay attention to what is left unsaid—characters' true feelings often hide in the gaps in dialogue and in silence
About the publisher
Founded in 1984, Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publisher. Its collection of 389 titles spans classic works, essays and miscellaneous writings, Eastern philosophy, folk literature, classical literature and design. Representative books include Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Laozi's Dao De Jing, Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the Shakespeare drama collection featuring Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth and Othello, with Zhu Shenghao's translations adding luster to the series. Its author resources range from classic Chinese and foreign writers such as Lao She, Laozi, Luo Guanzhong and William Shakespeare to translators and authors including Zhu Shenghao, Li Chensen and Liang Sicheng. The publisher is characterized by its balance of Chinese and foreign literary classics with traditional culture titles, combining scholarly value with popular reading. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the collection.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序一 破碎的都市灯光
- 序二 庸常生活中绽放的文学之花
- 来去之间
- 一起旅行
- 风筝误
- 烟花炮
- 箭在弦上
- 薛小米的藏宝箱
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 鸳鸯袍
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 流光飞舞
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 撤回
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 不诉离殇
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 对不起，我爱你
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 附：
FAQ
Is this book a novel or a short-story collection?
What other works has the author Shi Xiao published?
Is the book's tone sad?
Comments
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About the author
Shi Xiao is an author about whom limited public information is available. Two works can currently be confirmed under this name: Lai Qu Zhi Jian (Between Coming and Going) and The Little Mermaid. Judging from the common categories, the writing spans two areas, social fiction and classical poetry, suggesting that the author has engaged with both narrative literature and the classical poetic tradition. Lai Qu Zhi Jian is classified as social fiction, which may indicate a focus on real life and human relationships; the specific subject of The Little Mermaid is not clearly stated, but its placement alongside classical poetry under the same author may reflect a diversity of creative approaches. Because basic details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and educational background cannot be verified, this profile makes no conjectures about them. On the available evidence, Shi Xiao's output is small yet crosses the fields of fiction and poetry; readers may turn to these two works to understand the social themes and literary interests the author engages with, while the writing style and influence await further disclosure before assessment.
