A Long Farewell

织尔Dook Media Group Limited · ChinaMar 2023

3.6

Word count: 105K words
Chapters: 30

Summary

In a haze of consciousness, she drifts through an entire lifetime, coming to rest at last on that sunlit afternoon. He stands beneath the tree, a white cloth over his eyes, smiling as he asks what brings her here. A stranger, gracious as polished jade. One glance was enough to stay with her for years. If only she had known that meeting that day was the beginning…

Editor's review

Chang Ci opens with a hazy look backward, compressing the memories of a long life into a single sunlit afternoon, the narrative unfolding from the figure beneath the tree, eyes covered with white cloth, smiling as he asks his question. The author, Zhi Er, is skilled at building a classical atmosphere with restrained short sentences; the images of the gracious stranger and polished jade are elegant without being overwrought, and the emotional progression relies on detail and white space rather than direct exposition. The book's strength lies in its handling of time: a stream-of-consciousness recollection lets the reader wander through memory alongside the protagonist, finally settling back on the moment of first meeting, closing the circle with a sense of fate. Best read on a quiet night or afternoon, not rushing after plot but following the rhythm of the prose to feel that wistfulness of if only she had known that meeting that day was the beginning. For readers who love classical flavor and prefer understated emotional expression, this is a small book worth savoring slowly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who love classical atmosphere and understated emotional expression
Literary readers who prefer short sentences, white space, and stream-of-consciousness narration
Those who want a quiet, wistful story to read in the afternoon or at night

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot and fast-paced, satisfying fiction
Those unaccustomed to white space and fragmented narration who need clear explanations
Readers who find classical imagery and lyrical prose alienating

Reading tips

Read through once to absorb the overall atmosphere without worrying about the timeline; on a second pass, sort out the layers of memory and reality
Read in the afternoon or before bed, a few sections at a time, letting the resonance of the short sentences linger rather than rushing to finish
When you reach the first meeting beneath the tree, look back at the opening to feel the sense of fate created by the echo between beginning and end

About the publisher

Dook Media Group Limited China · Founded in 2006

Dook Media Group Limited is a book planning and publishing company focusing on literature and the arts, social sciences and children's books. Its publishing areas cover quality fiction, science fiction, wuxia novels, foreign literature and history. Representative titles in the library include The Complete Short Stories of Isaac Asimov, Yu Hua's novellas and short stories, Gu Cheng's collected works on Ming and Qing history, and Huang Yi's Twin of Brothers and A Step into the Past. Its authors include Isaac Asimov, Yu Hua, Gu Cheng, Huang Yi, Alberto Moravia and Liu Cixin. It plans books using the "super sign" methodology, with a list that brings together science fiction, literary fiction and genre fiction. As public information is limited, this profile is based only on the books in the library.

版权信息
第一章
第二章
第三章
第四章
第五章
第六章
第七章
第八章
第九章
第十章
第十一章
第十二章
第十三章
第十四章
第十五章
第十六章
第十七章
第十八章
第十九章
第二十章
第二十一章
第二十二章
第二十三章
第二十四章
第二十五章
尾声
番外前尘旧事
番外冉冉年华留不住
番外饮鸩止渴

FAQ

Is this book about love or about looking back on a lifetime?

The two are intertwined. It opens with drifting through an entire lifetime in a haze of consciousness, coming to rest on that sunlit afternoon and the moment of first meeting beneath the tree. Love is the anchor of memory, but the book is more a look back on an entire life through a single emotional thread, focused on the wistfulness and longing of passing time rather than a simple love story.

Is the writing style difficult to read?

Not difficult, but it takes some adjustment. The author favors short sentences and white space, and the narration jumps between memory and reality; at first the threads may feel loose, but simply follow the emotional current of the prose. It rewards slow reading; those seeking plot density may find it not direct enough.

Is it suitable for reading in one sitting?

Not really recommended. It isn't long, but the atmosphere is quiet, so it's better read in several sessions, a few sections at a time. Reading it in one go makes it easy to miss the details and echoes within the short sentences, which weakens the lingering aftertaste of that slow look backward.

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About the author

织尔 Author

Zhi Er is an author about whom limited public information is available. To date, nine works can be confirmed under this name, including Chang Ci, After the Cabbage Spirit Descends the Mountain, Xing Zhi Wan, Gu Meng, Wang Yue, Eighty Thousand Springs, My Emperor Setting Is That He Loves Her, and Xu Xu Tu Zhi. Judging from the categories in the database, her writing spans time-travel alternate worlds, otherworldly continents, youth literature, and modern romance, showing a range that moves between historical fantasy and realistic emotional themes. Her titles often carry a classical flavor and a light imaginative touch, as with "Chang Ci," "Wang Yue," and "Eighty Thousand Springs," suggesting a tendency toward emotional atmosphere and character relationships; titles such as "After the Cabbage Spirit Descends the Mountain" and "My Emperor Setting Is That He Loves Her" reveal a lighter, humorous side with playful genre premises. Because her dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name are not recorded, little can be said about her life, and readers must come to know her mainly through her works.