The Winged Ghost

Name: The Winged Ghost
ISBN: 9787559813268

双雪涛Guangxi Normal University Press · ChinaJan 2019

3.7

Word count: 61K words
Chapters: 10
ISBN: 9787559813268

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Summary

In the frigid snow country, the Winged Ghosts are slaves, each burdened with a pair of withered wings, confined for life to the bottom of a well, surviving on snow pears and hard labor. The Winged Ghosts have no names, and no written records of their origins; most die of despair before thirty. At the coronation of the snow country's new king, he declares the Winged Ghost slaves free and appoints the strongest among them as general to lead an attack on the Valley Demons, the assassins who killed the previous king. Yet a literate Winged Ghost, Xiao Lang, discovers the hidden true origins of the snow country and the Winged Ghosts...

Editor's review

Winged Ghosts is a novel by Shuang Xuetao set in a frigid snowbound realm: the winged ghosts are born with withered wings, live in underground pits, perform hard labor, have no names or written records, and most die before thirty. A new king ascends and declares the winged ghosts free, appointing the strongest among them as general to attack the monsters of Assassin Valley—yet Xiaolang, a winged ghost who can read, discovers the true origins of the snow realm and his people. The book's readability comes from its vivid allegorical quality and suspenseful momentum: the slave identity, the secret of literacy, and the new king's appointment all point to a truth that must be uncovered. It relies not on ornate prose but on a stark snowbound atmosphere and layer upon layer of escalating questions to grip the reader. It suits readers who enjoy contemporary fiction, allegorical narrative, and light suspense; those expecting dense historical realism or easy entertainment may find it less fitting. While reading, pay attention to the core premise of 'writing and origins'—it is both the key to the plot and the entry point for understanding the book's allegory.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy contemporary fiction and allegorical narratives
Readers interested in the snow-country setting and suspenseful progression
Readers willing to follow the protagonist in uncovering the secret of his origins
Readers who want to understand the landscape of Shuang Xuetao's fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting weighty historical realism or social documentary works
Readers who only want light entertainment and are unwilling to enter a cold, austere atmosphere
Readers who lack patience for allegorical settings and identity puzzles

Reading tips

First note the setting that 'winged ghosts have no written records of their origins'—it is the key to understanding the book's central mystery.
When you reach the part where the new king appoints a general and attacks the valley demons, pause to think about each party's motives before reading on.
After finishing, look back at the opening descriptions of life down the well—you'll find many details were already laying groundwork for the truth.

About the publisher

Guangxi Normal University Press China · Founded in 1986

Guangxi Normal University Press is a publisher known for literature, foreign literature and history titles. Its 1,175 books in the database show a solid accumulation in classics and prose collections, including foreign literary works such as Les Fleurs du mal: Annotated Poems of Baudelaire, Snow Country, Dubliners and The Wild Palms, as well as modern prose compilations like The Complete Prose of Zhou Zuoren. History and philosophy also hold a notable share, with titles such as Running Dogs: Clerks and Runners in Qing County Yamen and The History and Thought of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom reflecting attention to Qing local administration and modern history. In art literature there is the 16-volume Ten Bamboo Studio Painting and Calligraphy Manual. Its author resources include foreign writers Charles Baudelaire and Yasunari Kawabata, translators and annotators Liu Nanqi and Zou Bo, and scholars such as Zhong Shuhe, Bradly W. Reed and You Chenjun. As public information is limited, this characterization is based only on the books in the database, which together present a profile balancing Chinese and foreign literary classics with academic works in the humanities and social sciences.

版权信息
再版序
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FAQ

What kind of novel is Winged Ghost?

It is a full-length novel with an allegorical quality, set in an extremely cold snow country and revolving around the identity of winged-ghost slaves, the new king's declaration of freedom, and the attack on the valley demons. The story has elements of suspenseful progression, and its core is the literate winged ghost Xiao Lang discovering the true origins of the snow country and the winged ghosts—it is not a work of historical realism.

Can I read this directly without having read other works by Shuang Xuetao?

Yes. This is a standalone novel that does not depend on prior events from other works. Its snow-country setting and allegorical style share a sensibility with some of Shuang Xuetao's better-known works, but starting directly with this book will not cause any difficulty in understanding—just read it in plot order.

What role does the 'winged ghost' setting play in the book?

Winged ghosts have withered wings, live curled up down wells, and have no names or written records of their origins. This setting is both a basic rule of the story's world and the core that drives the mystery. The reason the literate Xiao Lang can discover the truth is precisely related to the absence of 'writing' and 'records of origins,' so this setting serves both a plot function and an allegorical one.

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About the author

双雪涛 Author

Shuang Xuetao is a fiction writer active in contemporary Chinese-language literature. Public information about him is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not recorded in the available sources. The library currently holds five of his works, including Tianwu Shouji (Notes of Tianwu), The Mute Era, The Aviator, Taiping Tianguan: A Collection of Award-Winning Novellas and Short Stories from the First Wang Zengqi Chinese Fiction Award, and The Winged Ghost. The Aviator was adapted into a film of the same name starring Jiang Qiming and Li Xueqin. His writing is often classified as social fiction, classic works, and suspense and mystery. His subjects tend to center on the circumstances and fates of ordinary people, with his narratives blending suspense and imagination into a realistic foundation, and his language is restrained yet full of tension. Through both long and short forms, he depicts individuals' struggles and choices amid social change, giving his work both readability and room for reflection and a certain influence among readers of contemporary Chinese-language fiction.