Sloppy

Name: Sloppy
ISBN: 9787542662620

贾行家Shanghai Joint Publishing CompanyDec 2021

4.1

Word count: 159K words
Chapters: 20
ISBN: 9787542662620

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Summary

This is a collection of prose notes on life and living. With a gel-like prose and rare candor, Jia Xingjia etches down these "flashes of thought, fragments, words and deeds, scenes, and old stories," threading them together along threads such as "street life," "villages," "local scenes," "living torture," "impermanence," "renunciation," "the odd and marginal," "softness," "ways of living," "foreign lands," "baseness," "the eerie," "grudges," "trades," and "revisiting the past." Together they reveal the vastness of life, the human heart, and human nature, sketching out one slipshod life after another—and our own slipshod attitude toward life. As the author says: because people are so small, "reality" is forever astonishing.

Editor's review

Jia Xingjia's Slipshod is not the kind of essay collection you finish in one sitting; it is more like a scrapbook of life's slices that asks to be leafed through slowly and returned to again and again. Using threads such as "street life," "villages," "local scenes," "living torture," and "impermanence," the author strings together flashes of thought, fragments, and scenes. The prose has a gel-like texture—viscous yet transparent—and some sentences seem to stick directly to your heart as you read. Its value lies not in telling complete stories but in sketching one slipshod life after another with minimal strokes, letting readers see the vastness of life, the human heart, and human nature. It suits reading a few pages before bed or dipping into on the commute; it doesn't require continuous time, but it does require a quiet mood. If you are interested in short nonfiction and the living conditions of ordinary people, this book will give you many moments to pause and look back. It offers no answers, though, and makes no promise of comfort, so it's best to be mentally prepared before reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy short nonfiction essays and fragmented reading habits
Those curious about street life, village scenes, and the fate of ordinary people
Aspiring writers who want to learn how to sketch characters and scenes with minimal strokes
Readers who need a stretch of quiet prose to pause and look back amid a busy life

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer complete narratives, strong plots, and continuous storylines
Those hoping to find clear answers or emotional comfort in reading
Readers with little patience for dense prose and a slower pace

Reading tips

No need to read in table-of-contents order; open to any page and read two or three pieces at a time
Keep a pen handy and mark sentences that move you, then revisit them after some time
Treat threads like "street life," "villages," and "living torture" as small units and read one unit at a time
After reading, try jotting down in one or two sentences the people or scenes that came to mind; no need for a full reading response

About the publisher

Shanghai Joint Publishing Company China · Founded in 1986

Shanghai Joint Publishing Company focuses on humanities and social science publishing and has developed a distinctive profile in the collation and translation of classical literature and world classics. Its 258 titles in the database cover classical literature, world classics, foreign literature, literary appreciation, general biography, and modern poetry. Representative publications include the Annotated Dream of the Red Chamber by Zhiyanzhai series, as well as collected and selected works by classic authors such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Shakespeare. Its authors and translators include Cao Xueqin, Zhiyanzhai, Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Zang Zhonglun, Zeng Siyi, Xu Zhenya, and Cao Ying. The press emphasizes the annotated collation of classic texts and the publication of authoritative translations, forming a publishing profile that spans both Chinese classical literature and world literary classics. Because public information on some details of its publishing history is limited, they are not discussed here.

版权信息
第一
市井
乡里
风物
活受
无常
弃绝
畸零
柔软
活物
活法
外邦
卑污
阴森
仇隙
行业
温故
再会
篇后最后一杯纪念自己

FAQ

Is this a novel or an essay collection?

It is a collection of prose notes, not a novel. The author records flashes of thought, fragments, scenes, and old stories in short pieces, threaded together by "street life," "villages," "local scenes," "living torture," and other such threads. Each piece is short, closer to slice-of-life nonfiction.

Can I read it without continuous reading time?

Yes. The structure doesn't depend on continuous reading; each piece stands relatively on its own and suits commutes, bedtime, or fragmented time. There's no need to read from beginning to end—opening at random and reading two or three pieces actually fits its rhythm better.

Is it emotionally heavy to read?

Some pieces do deal with themes like "living torture," "impermanence," and "renunciation," and the mood is on the somber side. But the author's touch is restrained—not dramatizing suffering but presenting states of life. It's best to read only a few pieces at a time and leave room to digest, rather than finishing in one go.

Is it suitable as a gift?

It suits friends who enjoy essays and are curious about observing life, but not people expecting light reading or complete stories. Before giving it, leaf through a few pieces to see whether the recipient's reading taste matches this short-piece style.

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About the author

贾行家 Author

Jia Xingjia is a Chinese writer about whom limited public information is available. The library currently holds one work by this author, the essay collection Liaocao (Scribbles), commonly classified as miscellaneous prose. This work shows that Jia writes mainly essays drawing on everyday life and personal experience, in a plain and restrained style that attends closely to small, fragmentary feelings; the prose avoids elaborate display and reveals patience of observation in its very plainness. The title Liaocao itself suggests an acceptance of the imperfect and the unpolished in life, echoing the author's calm, understated narrative stance. Because verifiable public information is scarce, nothing reliable is available about the author's life, birthplace, or education, and no speculation is offered here; understanding of the author's style and literary profile rests mainly on this single work. Readers wishing to know Jia Xingjia better may begin with Liaocao and experience the plain yet rewarding texture of these essays.