Hediong

Author: Zhang Nanzhuang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-12-01
Features: "Nonsense, nonsense, truly unreasonable!" When the founding member of the Kuomintang, Wu Jihui, read this opening line of He Dian, he had a profound realization and thus strongly advocated for colloquial writing style, becoming a prominent figure during the New Culture Movement. The learned often question others, "Where did this come from?" He Dian is a rare humorous novel in literary history that is highly practical and colloquial. Its cultural significance has been highly praised by Lu Xun, Liu Banrong, Hu Shi, Zhou Zuoren, and Lin Yutang. This is a peculiar classical Chinese novel with unforgettable artistic qualities, employing a unique "humorous" style. The novel satirizes the underworld through the contrasting experiences of the two generations of the wealthy family, the Huagui family, in the village of Sanjia Village in the "Lower World Yinshan" and "Guiguyu." It breaks away from the so-called "scholarly" tone of traditional novels, lacking any rules or conventions. Despite being filled with vulgar language, it remains tasteful, and though it is full of witty banter, it is highly refined.