Great Waves (Part Six)

Li JierenFeb 2022

4.1

Word count: 63K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

This volume shifts its narrative viewpoint to the upper bureaucracy and historical figures, recreating with grandeur the 1911 Railway Protection Movement in Sichuan. It depicts the surging revolutionary movement and the customs and lives of the people under its influence, with a strong local flavor. The book reflects a turbulent era of unsettled hearts and portrays the many faces of a time of upheaval, holding high value for the study of dialect literature. The novel successfully creates typical characters such as Chu Yong, Hao Yousan, and Huang Lansheng, blending personal experience with historical change, and delicately renders daily life, commercial activity, clothing culture, and local products of the time, rich in Bashu cultural color.

Editor's review

This is the sixth volume of the Dabo series, likewise taking high-level bureaucrats and historical figures as its narrative viewpoint to recreate the surging course of the 1911 Sichuan Railway Protection Movement and the customs and lives of the people under its influence. Its highlight lies in juxtaposing the grand narrative of revolutionary movement with meticulous depiction of daily life: characters' experiences and historical change pull at each other, while details of daily life, commercial activity, clothing culture, and local products are layered out, giving the turbulent era a tangible, sensory texture. The creation of typical figures such as Chu Yong, Hao Yousan, and Huang Lansheng also keeps the ensemble narrative from becoming a mere listing of events. The strong local flavor and use of dialect give the book considerable value for the study of dialect literature. As you read, attend to how historical events enter ordinary people's lives and how the author maintains narrative tension between the grand and the minute. Suitable for readers willing to immerse themselves in the scene of the era and savor the texture of regional culture.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the Sichuan Railway Protection Movement and modern social change
Research-oriented readers focused on dialect literature and local narrative
Readers who enjoy historical ensemble fiction and are willing to read customs description closely
Literature enthusiasts seeking to understand the everyday details of Bashu culture

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking tight plotting and a fast reading experience
Readers impatient with historical background and regional culture
Readers unaccustomed to long-form ensemble narrative and dialect expression

Reading tips

First sort out the timeline of the Railway Protection Movement, then read against the characters' situations in the book.
Attend to details such as daily life and commercial activity to understand how history lands in the everyday.
For dialect expressions, infer from context; no need to stop frequently to look them up.
After finishing, review character relationships to sort out how the ensemble and historical events interweave.

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FAQ

Does this volume overlap with volume seven?

Both volumes belong to the Dabo series, with continuous background and characters, but each carries different narrative segments. This volume focuses on the ensemble and customs description during the unfolding of the Railway Protection Movement. Reading in series order makes clearer how characters and events gradually advance.

With so many characters, will it be confusing to read?

Ensemble narrative does involve many characters, but core figures such as Chu Yong, Hao Yousan, and Huang Lansheng run throughout. Keep brief notes on characters' identities and positions and hold to the main threads; you need not remember every name at the start, as relationships gradually become clear as the plot advances.

Is this book suitable for studying dialect literature?

It works well as a reference text. The use of dialect resources and the local color are fairly pronounced and can provide concrete linguistic material. For research, however, it should still be combined with relevant dialect materials and literary-historical background; conclusions should not rest on a single work alone.

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About the author

Li Jieren Author · Chinese · 1891–1962

Li Jieren (1891–1962), originally named Li Jiaxiang, was a native of Chengdu, Sichuan, and a modern Chinese writer and translator of French literature. In his early years he studied and worked in France; after returning to China, he devoted himself to writing, translation, and industry, and served as vice mayor of Chengdu and vice chairman of the Sichuan Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles. His writings are set in Chengdu and focus on the social changes of the late Qing and early Republican periods. His representative River Trilogy—Ripples in the Stagnant Water, Before the Storm, and The Great Wave—portrays local customs and the turmoil of the times with delicate detail, combining the realistic depth of social fiction with a strong regional flavor. The collection includes 23 of his works, covering classic novels and literary collections. His parallel careers in translation and writing make him a notable figure in modern Chinese–foreign literary exchange.