Eighty-One Dreams (2)

Zhang HenshuiJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 71K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

The Eighty-One Dreams is a new stage in Mr. Zhang Henshui's work. This stage breaks through the confines of old-era fiction and opens up a new局面. Its implications are profound, its expression reserved and layered, its sentiment bold. This is a true portrayal of Mr. Zhang Henshui's commitment to resisting Japan and his determination to serve the country during the War of Resistance. After the Nanjing Massacre, Zhang Henshui submitted a petition to the government, requesting to go into the mountains at his own expense to wage guerrilla warfare, but there was no way to volunteer. He put his intense patriotic fervor and solitary indignation on paper, creating a large number of anti-Japanese novels adapted from real people and events, leaving the Chinese nation with much precious history of resisting foreign invasion. The Eighty-One Dreams, by contrast, is a work of "recalling the pain after the pain has subsided" from the War of Resistance; together with Night Rain on Mount Ba, it is called the "peak work" of Zhang Henshui's writings.

Editor's review

In Zhang Henshui's body of work, Eight-One Dreams marks a distinct turning point: a move from social romance fiction toward a more allegorical and critically sharpened mode of writing. The book uses dreams as its frame, holding a mirror to reality through absurd visions; its meaning is subtle while its emotion is fierce, a projection onto paper of the author's patriotic feelings and solitary indignation during the War of Resistance. Sources indicate that this work, together with Night Rain over Mount Ba, is regarded as the pinnacle of Zhang Henshui's writing; its value lies not only in the maturity of its literary craft but also in its record of one traditional literatus's spiritual choices at a moment of national peril. Readers may wish to attend to the tension between dream narrative and real-world critique, and to how the author transforms the frustration of having no way to volunteer for service into the power of words. It is suited to readers interested in modern literary history, War of Resistance literature, and allegorical fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Zhang Henshui's creative transformation and modern literary history
Readers studying wartime literature and the mentality of intellectuals
Literature lovers who enjoy allegorical, dream-based narrative techniques
General readers hoping to understand modern national sentiment through fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer tightly plotted, realistic popular fiction
Those seeking light entertainment and reluctant to engage with heavy themes
Beginning readers with little patience for allegorical and metaphorical writing

Reading tips

It helps to first learn about Zhang Henshui's creative context during the War of Resistance before entering the text, making it easier to grasp the real-world references behind the dreams.
While reading, note the structural relationships among the dream episodes and try to trace the emotional threads the author entrusts to them.
Read alongside Night Rain over Mount Ba to appreciate the shared concerns expressed through different styles in the same period.
After every few dreams, pause to savor the satire and allegory; there is no need to finish in one sitting.

版权信息
第七章第三十二梦星期日
第八章第三十六梦天堂之游
第九章第四十八梦在钟馗帐下
第十章第五十五梦忠实分子
第十一章第五十八梦上下古今

FAQ

Does the title Eight-One Dreams mean the book contains eighty-one dreams?

The sources do not specify an exact relationship between the number of dreams in the book and the title, so readers should not take it literally. The title reflects an overall allegorical conception; the emphasis is on using dreams to convey the author's feelings and critique, and the actual structure of the pieces should be judged by the text itself.

How does this book differ from Zhang Henshui's earlier works?

According to the sources, Eight-One Dreams breaks through the barriers of old-era old fiction and opens a new phase, with profound meaning and subtle richness; it represents a new stage in Zhang Henshui's writing and differs markedly from his earlier works in both intent and method.

Can I read this directly without having read other works by Zhang Henshui?

Yes. This is a standalone allegorical work that does not depend on the plots of earlier books. Still, a rough understanding of the author's mentality and creative context during the War of Resistance will make it easier to appreciate the patriotic fervor and solitary indignation embodied in the book.

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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.