"Return line does not need to be translated, return as it is, all other Chinese must be translated into English: Shen Congwen novels"

Author: Shen Congwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-11-01
Features: Since Shen Congwen began his literary activities, he considered himself as a minor soldier in the entire May Fourth New Literature Movement. His "main task was to act as a 'sharpener,' paving the way for the larger group, and recording breakthroughs and experiments in his works. Therefore, he always started from 'exercises' to write." If he failed, he would try another approach; if he succeeded, he would not stop at small achievements." His early works freely borrowed various literary formulas, unbound by any fixed style. He skillfully imitated certain writing techniques of Yu Dafu and Zhou Zuoren, yet he could also break free from any literary formula, following the call of his heart as he explored his own literary path. In the mid-to-late 1930s, Shen Congwen experienced the most brilliant period of his creative career. In addition to the brilliant masterpiece Border Town, he published a series of dazzling short stories that artistically depicted life from multiple perspectives, expressing his personal reflections and aesthetic ideals.
The rural theme held a prominent position in Shen Congwen's early creative works. After enduring the grueling life in the two vastly different metropolises of Beiping (Beijing) and Shanghai, his writing began to consciously depict the differences between rural and urban life. He contrasted the tranquility and beauty of rural life with the chaos and ugliness of city life, and he mirrored the bravery and honesty of country folks against the cowardice and hypocrisy of the urban "upper class."
The first works to enter Shen Congwen's rural depiction were the myths, legends, and folk tales of Western Hunan. A series of works such as The Fisherman, Dragon Zhu, Love of the Shaman, Mei Jin, Tiger, and the Sheep, and Moonlit Sceneries portray an human world untouched by modern civilization. From the profound folk customs and traditions of Western Hunan, he found a path of "hearts communicating with each other" and "people connecting with beauty and love." Through magnificent myths and folk tales, he hoped that the primitive vitality embodied by his male and female protagonists, as well as their passion, courage, and honesty, would resist the decline of modern urban humanity. This was the "other era" constructed in the author's mind—a visionary dream as well as a sincere aspiration.
What stands out most in Shen Congwen's fiction is his portrayal of social and human suffering, showcasing the healthy life forms of Western Hunan. These works unfold vibrant scenes of Western Hunan life, where beautiful landscapes coexist with staggering poverty, while brave and innocent local customs clash with barbarism and ignorance. Joy and sorrow, goodness and evil, beauty and ugliness are inextricably intertwined. This is a strange world. Through this thematic exploration, Shen Congwen provided modern Chinese literature with a colorful and diverse Western Hunan that had never been depicted before, greatly enriching the rural literature pioneered by Lu Xun in the 1920s and advancing modern lyrical fiction by a great leap.