Idol

Zhang HenshuiJul 2024

3.5

Word count: 164K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Ding Guyun, a man of the old school, has always held himself to traditional moral standards. He is known in art circles for his carvings and is conservative and strict by nature. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Ding Guyun happens to meet a young woman named Lan Tianyu. Lan Tianyu claims to be Ding Guyun's student; striking in appearance, she drops endless hints after meeting him. Ding Guyun mistakes her attentions for mutual affection, abandons his wife at home, uses state funds to court Lan Tianyu, and plans to take her to Hong Kong. But it is all a "badger game" set up by Lan Tianyu. Ding Guyun loses both money and face, hides himself by staging a fire, and dares not meet his son, who has become a famous Resistance general and has always regarded him as an idol. He lets "Master Ding Guyun" survive as an idol while he himself becomes an ordinary craftsman.

Editor's review

Idol is a late work by Zhang Henshui that dismantles and satirizes the very concept of the "idol" against the backdrop of the War of Resistance. Centered on Ding Guyun, an old-fashioned sculptor who has disciplined himself by traditional morality all his life and enjoys a clean reputation in art circles, the novel follows his step-by-step descent into self-delusion after a chance encounter with the young Lan Tianyu: he misappropriates funds, abandons his family and career, and finally falls victim to a "badger game," losing both money and face. The most intriguing aspect of the work is its double irony: Ding Guyun is treated by Lan Tianyu as an object to be milked, while his son, a Resistance general, has always regarded him as a spiritual idol. In the end he chooses to let "Master Ding Guyun" survive as an idol while he himself fades into an ordinary craftsman. With his popular style, Zhang Henshui writes of the vanity, self-deception, and collapse of a respectable figure, casting a cool eye on society's worship psychology and the moral masks of men of letters. Readers should note the author's layer-by-layer unfolding of the character's psychology and his sidelong portrait of social mores in the rear areas during the war. Suitable for readers interested in social satire and Republican-era fiction of manners.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Zhang Henshui's social satires
Readers interested in the mores and literary life of the Republican era during the War of Resistance
Those interested in the themes of "idol worship" and human self-deception
Readers who want to understand modern social psychology through popular fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting grand narratives of the front lines in the War of Resistance
Readers who prefer light, sweet romance or pure love stories
Readers unaccustomed to the psychological portrayal and satirical style of old-school characters

Reading tips

Begin with the chapters in which Ding Guyun first meets Lan Tianyu, and note how hints and misreadings accumulate step by step.
Read the Ding Guyun and son storylines in parallel, and consider how the meaning of "idol" differs between the two generations.
After finishing, revisit the ending's handling of "hiding himself by staging a fire" and savor the author's satire on respectability versus truth.

版权信息
自序
第一章艺术与战争
第二章老牌艺术家的脾气
第三章师道尊严法相庄严
第四章孰能遣此
第五章天人交战
第六章失了灵魂吗
第七章认定了错路走
第八章一切不知所云
第九章就算合作了
第十章甜的辛苦
第十一章为了什么折腰
第十二章众生相
第十三章自我牺牲
第十四章一切顺利
第十五章割须弃袍
第十六章正期待着
第十七章两幕喜剧
第十八章你真勇敢
第十九章爱情与钱
第二十章？？？
第二十一章“寻寻觅觅冷冷清清凄凄惨惨戚戚”
第二十二章完了？
第二十三章活死人
第二十四章各有因缘莫羡人

FAQ

Why does Ding Guyun fall into Lan Tianyu's trap?

Ding Guyun has long disciplined himself by traditional morality, yet inwardly craves the admiration of young women. Lan Tianyu claims to be his student and drops endless hints, which strikes precisely at his vanity and self-image, making him mistake her attentions for mutual affection. He therefore lowers his guard and misappropriates funds, and finally loses both money and face. The trap works because of his self-deception.

How many layers of meaning does the title "Idol" have in the novel?

At least two: first, the image of the "master" that Ding Guyun is enshrined as in art circles and in his son's heart; second, his final choice to let this idol image survive while his true self fades into an ordinary craftsman. Through this the novel satirizes the illusion and self-deception behind idol worship.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Zhang Henshui's later work?

Yes, but with some preparation. It differs from the family romance of A Family of Distinction and leans more toward social satire and psychological analysis of character; it is concentrated in scope and thick with irony. If you have already read Zhang Henshui's popular romances, reading this book will show you the expansion of his creative vision.

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About the author

Zhang Henshui Author · China · 1895–1967

Zhang Henshui (1895–1967), originally named Xinyuan, was a native of Anhui and a writer of serialized chapter fiction, recognized as a representative author of the Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies school. Over his lifetime he wrote more than a hundred novels, and this library holds as many as 436 of his works. His writing uses the traditional chapter form as its framework, with intricate plots and large casts of characters; he excels at portraying social manners and human feelings amid social change and romantic entanglements, in language that is accessible and fluent, earning him a broad readership. His representative works include Ti Xiao Yin Yuan (A Smile of Woe), Jin Fen Shi Jia (The Golden Family), Chun Ming Wai Shi, and Ba Shi Yi Meng (Eighty-One Dreams), among which the first two have circulated especially widely in many editions. His subjects center on social novels and modern romance, with some allegorical and satirical works, giving him an important place in the history of modern popular literature.