Autumn Willow
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Summary
Autumn Willows is the sequel to Vast Night. At the end of Vast Night, the protagonist Yu Zhifu is taken by a colleague to the local pleasure quarters, where he comes to know the women of that world. In Autumn Willows, Yu Zhifu continues his decadent life in the crevice between warlords and student movements—wretched, lost, and lonely. The disillusioned, oppressive campus is no longer an ideal haven, and whether to stay or leave becomes a question. During this time he desperately evades reality, drowning himself in the sensory world of the pleasure quarters, seeking spiritual solace and redemption in Haitang, Bitao, and Cuiyun, women as ill-fated as himself...
Editor's review
Autumn Willow continues from Vast Night, writing about Yu Zhifu's dispirited days caught between warlords and student movements. Yu Dafu, with a brushstroke close to self-dissection, lays the protagonist's depression, loneliness, and disillusionment before the reader: the campus is no longer an ideal haven, and he is caught between staying and leaving, so he indulges in the sensory world of the pleasure quarters, seeking comfort and redemption among Haitang, Bitao, Cuiyun, and other women equally burdened by hardship. The value of the novel lies not in dramatic plot but in self-exposure so candid it is almost cruel, and in sympathetic writing about marginalized figures of society. Yu Dafu's lyrical tone and the superfluous man image continue here, giving a strong sense of era-specific oppression and personal sorrow. It is suitable for careful reading on quiet nights to experience the spiritual predicament of some intellectuals after the May Fourth era; it is also suitable as supplementary text for understanding Yu Dafu's novel sequence (after Vast Night). Note that its explicit descriptions of pleasure quarters and erotic psychology carry limitations of a specific historical context.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Literary readers interested in May Fourth era fiction and Yu Dafu's creative sequence
- Readers concerned with intellectuals' spiritual predicament and the theme of era-specific oppression
- Teachers and students studying the superfluous man image and self-dissecting narrative in modern literature
- Readers who prefer lyrical tone and psychological description over plot advancement
Not a good fit for
- Popular fiction readers expecting tight plots and clear endings
- Those sensitive to descriptions of pleasure quarters and decadent moods, or prone to discomfort
- Readers hoping to gain positive, inspirational life guidance from the book
Reading tips
- Read Vast Night first, then this book, to clarify Yu Zhifu's actions and psychological thread.
- Pay attention to the narrator's self-dissecting tone and treat it as a sample of era sentiment rather than an object of moral judgment.
- Annotate female figures such as Haitang, Bitao, and Cuiyun, comparing the author's sympathy and limitations.
- After finishing, read alongside Yu Dafu's works from the same period to feel the consistency and changes in his lyrical tone.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 一
- 二
- 三
- 四
- 五
- 六
- 七
- 八
- 九
- 十
- 十一
FAQ
Can I read Autumn Willow directly without having read Vast Night?
You can, but Autumn Willow is a sequel to Vast Night, and the character relationships and Yu Zhifu's previous situation carry over. Reading Vast Night first makes it clearer why he is led by colleagues into the pleasure quarters and why his depression deepens; if time is limited, at least understand the situation at the end of the previous work before entering this book, and the reading experience will be more complete.
Is this book mainly a love story?
It is not a love story in the usual sense. It writes about Yu Zhifu's decadence, confusion, and loneliness caught between warlords and student movements, and his interactions with Haitang, Bitao, Cuiyun, and other women burdened by hardship in the pleasure quarters. The focus is on intellectuals' spiritual disillusionment and mutual warmth, not the development of a romantic relationship.
Will the decadent mood in the book make it hard to keep reading?
Some readers will indeed find it oppressive. Yu Dafu's brushstroke is candid and low-key, with many descriptions of the protagonist escaping reality and indulging the senses. It is recommended to read in sections and pause briefly afterward; if you are feeling low at the moment, you may postpone it or choose other works instead of forcing yourself to finish it in one go.
Is it suitable for classroom discussion or book clubs?
Suitable, but a discussion framework is needed. Topics can revolve around the superfluous man image, intellectuals' era-specific predicament, and the author's sympathy for women in the pleasure quarters and narrative limitations. Because it involves descriptions of eroticism and pleasure quarters, it is recommended for adult or senior-grade literary discussion settings, accompanied by explanations of the historical background.
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About the author
Yu Dafu
Author · Chinese · 1896–1945
Yu Dafu (1896–1945), originally named Yu Wen and styled Dafu, was a native of Fuyang, Zhejiang, and a prominent modern Chinese writer as well as one of the founders of the Creation Society. He wrote mainly fiction and prose. His early novella Sinking shocked the literary world with its bold self-exposure and melancholy tone, while short stories such as Springtime in a Drunken Night and Late Osmanthus depict intellectuals' anguish and drifting through lyrical atmosphere. His prose is candid and strongly autobiographical, and he left a mark in biography, social fiction, and miscellaneous essays. The collection includes 130 of his works, among them Reminiscences of Lu Xun, complete prose collections, and selected short stories. During the War of Resistance he went to Singapore to engage in anti-Japanese propaganda, later fled to Sumatra, was secretly killed by Japanese military police in 1945, and was posthumously recognized as a revolutionary martyr in 1952.
