A Biography of Ye Xin

林影Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaNov 2021

Rating 3.5
Word count
251K words
Chapters
26
ISBN
9787539661698

Tags

General Biography Legendary LivesLiterary GiantsInspirationResiliencePath to Success

Summary

This book uses a literary approach to portray the extraordinary life of Ye Xin, vice chairman of the Chinese Writers Association and a renowned writer: how he struggled and rose amid solitude and adversity, how he constantly challenged the limits of fate on a journey full of setbacks and hardships, and how he persevered tirelessly toward his dreams, tracing his path to the heights of Chinese literature. Readers will feel his tenacious perseverance and striving spirit as he struggled through misfortune and scaled steep heights; see a distinguished, flesh-and-blood Ye Xin; and learn the untold stories behind his nationally sensational novels and TV dramas, including *The Wasted Years* and *Debt of Sin*.

Editor's review

*Ye Xin: A Biography* is the first systematic biography of Ye Xin, a leading writer of zhiqing (sent-down youth) literature, written by author Lin Ying and published by Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House. Grounded in rigorous archival research and in-depth literary interviews, the book offers a panoramic view of Ye Xin's turbulent life and creative journey from a Shanghai zhiqing to a literary giant. In the editor's view, the book's core value lies not merely in recording an individual life but in offering a miniature profile of contemporary Chinese literary history, particularly in its deep delineation of zhiqing literature as a unique literary phenomenon—from its emergence and flourishing to its sedimentation. Lin Ying's writing combines a scholar's calm with the empathy of a contemporary, probing the era's pain and reflections on human nature behind representative works such as *The Wasted Years* and *Debt of Sin*, while revealing how Ye Xin transformed the ups and downs of personal fate into literary motifs of universal significance. For readers, this book is a valuable window into the spiritual landscape of Chinese society in the 1960s and 1970s and the wave of literary revival in the early years of reform and opening up. Its many details—Ye Xin's hard years in the mountains of Guizhou, his struggles and breakthroughs in writing, his interactions with literary figures of his time—are highly readable and historically valuable. This is a solid work that lets readers feel the power of the tide of history and the enduring charm of literature within the story of an individual life.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. Reading this book alongside Ye Xin's representative works *The Wasted Years* or *Debt of Sin* is recommended for a fuller understanding
  2. Pay attention to the interplay between historical context and personal choice in the biography to appreciate the complexity of fate
  3. The book contains rich discussions of literary creation that writing enthusiasts will find worth reading closely

About the publisher

Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1984

Founded in 1984, Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publisher. Its collection of 389 titles spans classic works, essays and miscellaneous writings, Eastern philosophy, folk literature, classical literature and design. Representative books include Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Laozi's Dao De Jing, Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the Shakespeare drama collection featuring Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth and Othello, with Zhu Shenghao's translations adding luster to the series. Its author resources range from classic Chinese and foreign writers such as Lao She, Laozi, Luo Guanzhong and William Shakespeare to translators and authors including Zhu Shenghao, Li Chensen and Liang Sicheng. The publisher is characterized by its balance of Chinese and foreign literary classics with traditional culture titles, combining scholarly value with popular reading. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the collection.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 追梦
  3. 第一章 一个追梦的少年，却有着一副沉重的翅膀
  4. 第二章 从狂热中走出，却又陷入了迷惘的痛苦之中
  5. 第三章 在山寨里，爱情生长得如此之慢
  6. 第四章 遥远的文学梦，艰难的追梦旅程
  7. 第五章 《高高的苗岭》让他敲开了文学之门
  8. 第六章 初涉文坛，上下求索
  9. 从《蹉跎岁月》到《孽债》
  10. 第七章 《蹉跎岁月》让他成了知青文学的代言人
  11. 第八章 当选全国人大代表之后
  12. 第九章 牛刀小试，《山花》赚得钵满盆满
  13. 第十章 《蛊》事件，让他再次尝到了挫折的滋味
  14. 第十一章 呼唤主体意识觉醒的《家教》
  15. 第十二章 21年，生命的曲线画了一个圈
  16. 第十三章 《孽债》
  17. 跨越
  18. 第十四章 两副目光看世界
  19. 第十五章 一片哗然的《华都》
  20. 第十六章 《客过亭》为知青文学画了一个圆
  21. 第十七章 井喷式的创作晚年
  22. 第十八章 叶辛在世界
  23. 第十九章 叶辛的名字成为一张文化名片
  24. 录一 伟大作家的名字是写在人民心坎上的
  25. 录二 叶辛作品目录
  26. 后记

FAQ

What is this book's Douban rating and what are the main reviews? A search shows that the book has no widely available rating data on Douban. From the limited short reviews available, readers generally consider it a well-researched and rigorously written biography that is very helpful for understanding Ye Xin and the literary era he inhabited, affirming its value for literary history.
What is the background of author Lin Ying, and why is she qualified to write this biography? Author Lin Ying is a senior editor and writer who has long followed the field of contemporary Chinese literature. She prepared thoroughly for this biography, including extensive archival research, field visits, and in-depth interviews with Ye Xin himself, his relatives, and friends, ensuring the authenticity and depth of the content.
Is this book suitable for readers who know little about Ye Xin? Absolutely. The book begins with Ye Xin's childhood and youth and systematically presents his life, making it the best introductory reading for understanding Ye Xin and his work. It provides ample historical context, so no prior knowledge is required.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

林影 Author

Lin Ying is a Chinese-language writer about whom limited public information is available. Two of her works are currently known, one in biography and one in prose. Her biographical work, Biography of Ye Xin, concerns the life and creative career of the writer Ye Xin and belongs to the general category of biography, focusing on tracing the subject's life trajectory and literary path. Her prose work, Wind's Song and Flowers' Words, falls under miscellaneous prose; its title suggests writing devoted to scenery and plants, in a style that is likely delicate and lyrical. The two works differ in subject: one is documentary personal narrative, the other lyrical essay writing, indicating that the author has worked in both biography and prose. Because basic details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded, her educational background, professional experience, and the specific course of her writing career cannot be ascertained and should not be supplied by conjecture. Readers wishing to learn about Lin Ying may begin with these two works and observe her approach to writing between documentary and lyrical modes.