Eighteen Stairs

Name: Eighteen Stairs
ISBN: 9787229172305

王雨Chongqing Publishing House · ChinaNov 2023

Rating 3.6

Word count: 211K words
Chapters: 116
ISBN: 9787229172305

Summary

The people and region of Chongqing are uniquely warm-hearted; only by digging through the thick loess can one discover the roots of Chongqing people. The author has compiled and revised novellas and short stories published in journals such as Xinhua Wenzhai and Xiaoshuojie, along with recently completed works, into the collection "Shibati." Most of the 15 novellas and short stories in this collection are local in subject matter, including stories of contemporary life and historical events. The author excels at depicting characters and the subtle, delicate feelings of their surroundings. The language is plain, the dialect apt, the humor natural, and the writing thought-provoking. Among them, the author's adapted film scripts "The Boat God," "The Maternity Ward," "The Stele," and "The Long River Flows On" were published in the film and television edition of Chinese Writers. The film "The Maternity Ward" has been released, and "Shibati" has received a production permit from the National Film Administration and is being prepared for filming.

After the short story "The Boat God" was published as the lead story in Xiaoshuojie, it was reprinted as the cover lead story in Xinhua Wenzhai. Yan Jiayan, former director of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University and a renowned critic, commented on "The Boat God": "Within a short space, the conflicts and difficulties are laid out fully enough for the characters to demonstrate their character and ability in such an environment, making it appear true and credible. In shaping the character Lu Zuofu, the technique of first suppressing and then elevating is used, with very good effect. Although the plot involving the two young lovers and the captain is fictional, it has a factual basis. Overall, it is very moving."

Editor's review

"Shibati" is a novel by Chongqing writer Wang Yu, who poured years of effort into a work centered on the city's transformation and the fate of its ordinary people. Using Chongqing's famous old Shibati neighborhood as both a geographic and spiritual anchor, the novel spans decades and interweaves the joys and sorrows of several families and generations caught in the tide of history. With solid detail and deep local feeling, Wang Yu revives the street life, martial brotherhood, and resilient vitality of old Chongqing. This is not merely a nostalgic work about urban renewal and the disappearance of physical space, but a powerful literary exploration of "roots" and "change," "memory" and "future." The author neither simply romanticizes the past nor criticizes the present, but with empathetic strokes portrays ordinary people striving to live in the crevices of history; their perseverance, compromise, loss, and renewal together form a micro-epic of a city. For readers, "Shibati" is an immersive journey through urban culture, offering the heavy yet warm historical texture behind the words.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Chongqing's regional culture and the city's historical transformation
Fiction lovers who enjoy realistic themes and care about the fate of ordinary people
Readers who wish to understand the lives of ordinary people amid China's urbanization through literature
Literary readers who appreciate plain, profound storytelling with a local character

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot, fast pacing, and the gratification typical of web fiction
Readers impatient with regional description and the details of street life

Reading tips

Reading alongside historical photos or documentary background on Chongqing's Shibati will make the experience more immersive.
Pay attention to the author's deft use of Chongqing dialect words; this is an important part of the text's regional character.
This novel is best read continuously in a relatively quiet period, so as to better immerse yourself in the era's atmosphere and emotional tension.

About the publisher

Chongqing Publishing House China · Founded in 1950

Chongqing Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for its titles in the humanities, social sciences, literature and arts, with about 940 books in its catalogue. Its publishing areas cover world history, science fiction, foreign literature, architecture and philosophy. Representative titles include Xiang Da's A History of Communications Between China and the West, Liang Sicheng's Rules of Qing-Style Construction, Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem II: The Dark Forest and III: Death's End, Ann Rand's The Fountainhead (25th Anniversary Edition), and Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series. Its authors include Xiang Da, Liu Cixin, Liang Sicheng and Ann Rand. The press has developed distinctive strengths in historical source editing, the introduction and creation of science fiction, the translation of foreign literature, and architecture and philosophy titles, balancing scholarly value with general readership. As public information is limited, this profile outlines its publishing directions based only on the books in the catalogue.

版权信息
十八梯
一
二
三
四
产房
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
十
十一
十二
十三
十四
鹤
红绿灯
船神
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
江水悠悠
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
一波三折
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
生死不离
桂阿姨
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
十
十一
大山的回鸣
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
十
源
一
二
三
四
回头者
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
十
十一
十二
十三
十四
十五
十六
十七
候鸟生活
一
二
三
四
五
等待明天站起
一
二
三
四
五
丹顶鹤
一
二
三
四
五
六

FAQ

Is "Shibati" an entirely realistic novel?

The novel uses the real Shibati neighborhood of Chongqing as its background and prototype, but the characters and stories are artistic creations built on deep life experience. It is a realistic literary work, not documentary writing.

Will not having been to Chongqing affect my understanding of the book?

No. The author's vivid writing is enough to build a living literary world; regional flavor is the work's charm, not a barrier. Still, some knowledge of Chongqing's geography and history will deepen the reading experience.

Is the book's tone nostalgic and sorrowful?

Nostalgia is an important emotional undertone, but the book's tone is complex and multi-dimensional, full of praise for life, portrayals of resilience, and reflection on the future; sorrow is not its only theme.

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About the author

王雨 Author

Wang Yu is a Chinese author known mainly for his full-length novels. Publicly available information about him is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the sixteen works included in the collection, his writing tends to focus on social history and local life, with a clear sense of regional character and historical depth. Representative works such as Tian Sichuan (Filling Sichuan), Kaibu (Opening the Port), Xiang Si Er Sheng (Living Toward Death), Shibati, and Bei (The Stele) either trace the historical processes of migration and urban opening, or portray the ups and downs of ordinary people amid life, death, and change. His style leans toward realism, using specific characters and scenes to carry a long historical span. His works are often classified as quality fiction and social fiction, indicating sustained engagement with long-form narrative and social themes. It should be noted that public information about Wang Yu's personal experience and creative career remains very limited; the above introduction is based mainly on the themes and categories of his collected works.