Excess

Name: Excess
ISBN: 9787580106476

施焕中Lijiang Publishing House · ChinaJul 2026

3.5

Word count: 99K words
Chapters: 55
ISBN: 9787580106476

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Summary

This is a collection of short stories and novellas by Professor Shi Huanzhong, a renowned respiratory medicine expert at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University. It includes five stories: "Excess," "Nursing Aide," "Retirement," "Love Letter," and "Elder Sister." The author drew on years of clinical research experience to write these five stories, all of which have a medical backdrop. Set in the fictional Beijing Dadao Hospital and grounded in the author's long-standing observations of healthcare, caregiving, and related fields, the collection reflects to some extent the complex ecosystem within the medical industry. It addresses common literary themes such as the realization of life's value, life and death, family bonds, and love, as well as social issues like excessive medical treatment.

Editor's review

Professor Shi Huanzhong shifts from respiratory medicine expert to fictional narrative, distilling observations accumulated over years of clinical research into five short stories and novellas. This cross-boundary writing itself constitutes a rare reading value. The collection uses the fictional Beijing Dadao Hospital as its stage but does not settle for displaying the internal ecosystem of the medical industry; instead, through entry points such as doctor-patient relationships, caregiving ethics, retirement life, family bonds, and love, it probes the ways in which life's value is realized and the ambiguous zone between life and death. The title story "Excess" confronts the social issue of excessive medical treatment with restrained yet sharp narration; pieces like "Nursing Aide" and "Retirement" present the interweaving of professional identity and personal emotion through everyday details. The author's prose carries a doctor's characteristic calm and precision while retaining the ambiguity and lingering resonance that literary writing should have. Suitable for reading piece by piece on quiet evenings, leaving time to digest after each story; especially recommended for readers interested in medical-themed literature, professional writing, and contemporary social issues.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in medical-themed literature who want to understand the hospital's internal ecosystem from a doctor's perspective
Medical professionals and medical students seeking literary professional reflection beyond their specialty
Readers concerned with social issues such as excessive medical treatment and caregiving ethics, looking for literary expression and discussion
Literary readers who enjoy short stories and novellas and prefer restrained, calm narration

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strong plot and fast-paced genre fiction; this book's narration is more introspective and unhurried
Readers hoping to gain medical expertise or clinical guidelines; this book is a work of fiction
Readers sensitive to hospital scenes and life-and-death issues who may experience emotional stress

Reading tips

Read the title story "Excess" first to grasp the book's core issues and narrative tone, then choose the remaining pieces according to interest
Pause briefly after each story and note your observations or questions about the corresponding medical scenarios to form reading notes
You may read comparatively against your own medical or caregiving experiences, but be careful to distinguish fictional narrative from real medical judgment
After finishing, discuss with medical professionals or fellow readers around excessive medical treatment and caregiving ethics

About the publisher

Lijiang Publishing House China · Founded in 1980

Lijiang Publishing House focuses on Chinese and foreign literature, humanities and social sciences, cultural life, and parent-child education, and is particularly known for translating and introducing foreign literature; its "Nobel Prize in Literature Laureates Series" has had a lasting influence on readers. Judging from the 193 books in the collection, the press publishes modern prose classics such as Lu Xun's Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, ancient poetry and Eastern philosophy texts including Qu Yuan's The Songs of Chu and the works of Xunzi, educational works such as De Amicis's Cuore, and philosophy titles such as The Origin and Goal of History. Its authors include well-known Chinese and foreign writers and scholars such as Lu Xun, Qu Yuan, Xunzi, Hu Dalei, and Xia Mianzun. Overall, the press balances the organization of classic texts with the introduction of foreign works, forming a publishing profile that gives equal weight to literature, philosophy, and education.

版权信息
自序
作者的话
过度
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
护工
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
退休
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
情书
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
大姐
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

FAQ

Is this book nonfiction or fiction?

This is a collection of short stories and novellas; all five stories are fictional, set in the fictional Beijing Dadao Hospital. Although the author is a respiratory medicine expert, the writing is literary fiction and should not be read as real case reports or medical nonfiction.

Can I understand it without a medical background?

Absolutely. The stories advance through character relationships and everyday scenes; medical terminology appears sparingly and does not hinder comprehension. Basic life experience is enough to enter the stories; a medical background merely helps the reader appreciate an additional layer.

What does the title "Excess" refer to?

The title story "Excess" primarily points to the social issue of excessive medical treatment, but the five stories together also touch on "excess" and "deficiency" in caregiving, retirement, family bonds, and other domains. Readers can discern the title's multiple meanings as they read.

Are the five stories connected?

The five stories share the fictional Beijing Dadao Hospital setting and echo one another thematically, but each stands alone; characters and plots are not continuous. You can start with any story without affecting comprehension.

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About the author

施焕中 Author

Shi Huanzhong is an author for whom limited public information is available; details of his identity and life have not been clearly documented. Judging from the two works held in the collection, his writing spans the fields of medicine and social fiction. Interstitial Lung Disease: Analysis of Difficult Cases (2017) indicates professional experience in respiratory medicine, particularly interstitial lung disease; the book takes difficult cases as its entry point and focuses on organizing and analyzing clinical reasoning, making it a useful reference for specialists in the field. His other work, Excess, turns to social fiction, its subject and style forming a marked contrast with the medical monograph. This cross-disciplinary path gives his writing both professional depth and a concern for real-life issues. Overall, Shi Huanzhong is an author grounded in medical writing who extends into literary creation; though his output is small, the range of his subjects is notably broad and merits attention.