The Thorn of the Grass
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Summary
After graduating from the police academy, I had wanted to be an ordinary officer, but veteran detective Wang Qiang took a liking to me and selected me for the criminal investigation team. Over the decade from 1992 to 2002, my partner Qiu Chuyi and I followed old team leader Wang Qiang through many cases. In solving one real crime after another, and in glimpsing the subtleties of the human heart, our team untangled the threads, chased down suspects through the fog, and came to rely on one another, gradually becoming the closest and most steadfast of companions.
Editor's review
As reading, the book offers a precious cross-section for observing and understanding the inner lives of ordinary people during China's social transformation. It moves beyond simple narratives of suffering to explore dignity, moral principle, and the possible forms of human goodness in nearly hopeless circumstances. Its characters may be small and their struggles may come to nothing, but it is precisely these grassblade thorns that form the toughest part of society's fabric. For readers seeking deep reading and the coarse texture of life through prose, this book provides quiet, powerful space for reflection. It offers no consolation or answers; it invites readers to look steadily at a complex truth and understand it.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in serious literature and realist fiction
- Thinkers who hope to observe and understand the complexity of contemporary Chinese society through fiction
- Literature lovers who appreciate fine psychological portraiture and solid narrative craft
- Readers concerned with the survival conditions of the underclass and the dignity of the individual
Not a good fit for
- Casual readers seeking light entertainment and fast-paced plotting
- Readers with low tolerance for heavy or bleak narrative tones
Reading tips
- Read in a relatively quiet setting where you can think immersively, the better to feel the tension of the prose and the undercurrents of emotion.
- While reading, set aside strong expectations of story and attend more to the characters' inner trajectories and the social metaphors carried by detail.
- After reading, reflect in light of your own observations of the life around you; you may find deeper resonance with, or new understanding of, the grassblade world depicted here.
About the publisher
Founded in 1997 and based in Beijing, Taihai Publishing House takes “building cultural bridges and promoting cross-strait unity” as its mission, focusing on Taiwan-related studies, social sciences and humanities, Chinese and foreign history, and literature. Judging from the 709 titles in the database, its publishing centers on foreign literature and classic works, with attention to Eastern philosophy, architecture, and social culture. Representative books include Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha and Steppenwolf and the four-volume Hesse literary series, Liang Sicheng’s A History of Chinese Architecture, Lao She’s Teahouse (unabridged classic edition), Sun Wu’s The Art of War, and collections by W. Somerset Maugham, Yasunari Kawabata, and Yukio Mishima. Its authors include major foreign writers such as Hesse, Maugham, Kawabata, and Mishima, as well as Liang Sicheng, Lao She, and Sun Wu. Its publishing features complete presentation of classic texts and series-based organization of foreign literature; public information on its Taiwan-related studies titles and authors is limited.
Contents
- 版权信息
- Chapter 1 遗骸谜踪
- Chapter 2 愚人毒
- Chapter 3 血色灵感
- Chapter 4 罪余烬
- 后记
FAQ
Is the book's subject matter too heavy or pessimistic?
Has author Chen Meng written other well-known works?
Is this book suitable for understanding contemporary society?
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About the author
Chen Meng is a male post-80s suspense writer born in Hebei and a member of the Hebei Writers Association. He formerly served as a frontline criminal police officer and began writing suspense fiction in 2009, becoming known for crime and investigation stories that are commonly categorized as suspense mystery and social fiction. His work often draws on the perspective of frontline police casework, emphasizing the progression of investigations and the situations of the people involved, while also reflecting on social reality within crime narratives. Representative works include the Tongxiao Changdu Mystery Collection series, the Criminal Police Chen Meng: Eyes of the Abyss series, Cao Jie Zhi Ci, Special Case Investigation Unit 2, and Night Tales titles such as Night Tales: Criminal Police Chen Meng's Record of Pursuing Cold Cases and Night Tales: Black. Publicly available biographical information remains limited, but he has accumulated more than twenty works and has gained a certain readership among suspense and mystery fans.
