Selected Essays of Xiao Hong (Illustrated Edition) (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Wen Yuan
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The life of Xiao Hong was brief. She lived only to the age of 31 and left this world in war-torn Hong Kong, carrying pain and fear. Xiao Hong's literary output was not particularly large. Her novels, essays, poems, and dramas combined were less than 1 million words, yet they formed a striking and unique landscape on the literary skyline of 20th-century Chinese literature. Especially her highly individualistic novels and essays were praised by literary giants such as Lu Xun and Mao Dun, as well as other important writers. Over the years, they have gained increasing recognition from knowledgeable scholars in both Chinese and foreign literary circles, earning this unfortunate early-deceased female writer a great reputation. She will remain forever in the blue sky and clear waters, leaving half of Dream of the Red Chamber for others to complete. Throughout her life, she endured constant indifference and disdain, faced death first, and was unwilling—unwilling. The disasters of her homeland, the fall of her hometown, and the hardships she encountered in life gave this book a tone of sorrow and disillusionment. Xiao Hong, with landmark works such as Field of Life and Death and The Story of Hulan River, left a shining mark on the history of modern Chinese literature. In the world, Xiao Hong lived for only thirty-one years, but with the fiery flame of life, she forged nearly a million vivid and elegant words imbued with national spirit. Whether in novels, essays, poems, or dramas, Xiao Hong's pen always shone with the style of realism. This earned her high acclaim among readers both at home and abroad. The disasters of her homeland, the fall of her hometown, and the hardships she encountered in life gave this book a tone of sorrow and disillusionment.