Missing the Wolf

Name: Missing the Wolf
ISBN: 9787533966904

Jia PingwaJan 2022

4.2

Word count: 155K words
Chapters: 7
ISBN: 9787533966904

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Summary

Remembering Wolves still tells a story set in Shangzhou. "I" am a reporter whose endeavors never seem to go smoothly. On one trip to Shangzhou to cover a story, "I" learn that Shangzhou once organized a wolf-hunting team to capture and kill wild wolves. Now only 15 wolves remain in Shangzhou, and they have even numbered these 15 wolves. This story arouses "my" curiosity, and so "I" set out to find these wolves.

While searching for the wolves, "I" unexpectedly encounter my uncle, the captain of the wolf-hunting team, and together they run into a series of events connected to wolves. During this period, people "turn" into wolves and wolves "turn" into people, and the 15 wolves are killed one by one, setting off a chain of thought-provoking stories.

Editor's review

Remembering Wolves is a novel by Jia Pingwa set in Shangzhou, centering on a reporter's search for the last fifteen numbered wild wolves. It interweaves the past of the wolf-hunting team, strange episodes in which humans and wolves shift forms, and observed reality. Its readability lies not only in the suspense of the wolf search but also in its allegorical portrayal of the tension between humanity and nature, tradition and change, and the spiritual emptiness people feel once a certain wild point of reference is lost. The narrative carries Jia Pingwa's earthy local flavor and absurdist touches; the character relationships are spare yet symbolic, making it suitable for readers willing to look beyond the story for its metaphors. It is best read as an allegorical novel about ecology, memory, and the boundaries of human nature rather than as straightforward wildlife conservation writing; readers interested in the Shangzhou region and contemporary rural writing will also find much to appreciate. The length is moderate and the plot moves forward with the appeal of a folk legend, but readers need to accept the interweaving of the real and the imaginary in the narration.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Jia Pingwa's work and follow contemporary rural fiction
Readers interested in ecological allegory and the relationship between humans and nature
Readers open to absurd symbolism and who like to read metaphors into a story
Literary enthusiasts who want to understand Shangzhou regional writing and folk narrative

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting fast-paced suspense or a clear investigative thread
Readers who prefer realistic wildlife conservation reportage and reject allegorical narration
Readers impatient with the blending of reality and fantasy and with symbolic plotting

Reading tips

First read through following the main thread of the wolf search; don't rush to decode the symbols, and pay attention to key passages where humans and wolves alternate.
After finishing, revisit the backstory of the wolf-hunting team and the setup of the fifteen numbered wolves, and consider how they correspond to ecological change.
Read with the Shangzhou regional background in mind, experiencing the local scenery together with the characters' psychological shifts.

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后记

FAQ

Is this book a work of reportage about wildlife conservation?

It is not reportage but a novel that uses the wolf search as its thread. Through the backstory of the wolf-hunting team, the numbered wild wolves, and episodes in which humans and wolves shift forms, it reflects on ecology, tradition, and human nature; it should be read as literary narrative with an allegorical dimension.

Can I read it without having read other works by Jia Pingwa?

Yes. The book is set against Shangzhou stories, but its main characters and the wolf-search thread are relatively self-contained and do not depend on earlier works. New readers of Jia Pingwa can use it as an entry point to his rural narrative and symbolic technique; just pay attention to the interweaving of the real and the imaginary in the narration.

How should the plot of humans and wolves transforming into each other be understood?

Such episodes are better understood as allegorical expression rather than taken literally according to real-world logic. They heighten the sense of blurred boundaries between humans and wildness, and between humans and tradition, and also mirror the characters' psychological changes during the wolf search; when reading, focus on the overall meaning these passages create.

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About the author

Jia Pingwa Author · Chinese · 1952

Jia Pingwa, originally named Jia Pingwa, was born in Danfeng, Shaanxi, in 1952. A contemporary writer, he graduated from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Northwest University in 1975 and has served as chairman of the Shaanxi Writers Association and vice chairman of the China Writers Association. His work spans social novels and prose, including Ruined City, Qin Opera, Ancient Furnace, Shan Ben and Zhan Zuo; Qin Opera won the seventh Mao Dun Literature Prize. The collection also includes Solo Walking, Moon Traces: Selected Prose of Jia Pingwa (English), Remembering the Wolf, Lao Sheng and Dai Deng, among twenty-six titles. His novels are rooted in rural life and social reality, while his prose is plain and natural, revealing character in everyday detail.