A Soliloquy of a Beer Enthusiast

Author: Gouzi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-01-01
Features: Most people can be categorized: there are "white-collar workers," "professionals," "yuppies," and more recently trendy terms like "middle-class" and "alternative." But there are also a few individuals who you can never fit into any group—no matter where they are, they always feel out of place with their surroundings. The protagonist of this book, Gouzi, is just such a person: he has received a good education, yet he abandons the "white-collar" life; he once ventured south, yet he doesn’t seem like a "migrant worker" at all; he has roamed the countryside but hasn’t become a "travelling poet"; his life is far from decent, yet he once rejected women. The book tells of a unique life experience. This extremely rich experience both fascinates some people as if it were a kind of allure and is condemned by others with righteous indignation. But no one can deny that this experience is especially thrilling because it requires extraordinary courage, daring to defy the entire world. The subject matter and language of this book can be said to be deeply rooted in Wang Shuo and recently influenced by Shi Kang, but in some aspects, they are completely different—Gouzi is quite "radical." He is a voracious devourer who, in the midst of drunkenness, recklessness, and gluttony, "unintentionally" bites off his own finger and grimly swallows it mixed with blood, beer, and the saliva of a woman’s tongue.