Let me come closer

Author: Xue Yanping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: In a sense, "Let Me Get Closer" can be regarded as an apocalypse of desire—written by renowned critic and PhD Chen Fumin, "Let Me Get Closer" consists of two modules. One is the life experiences and emotional entanglements of the novel's protagonist, Meng Xiaojie, while the other is the diary entries of Meng Xiaojie's uncle-in-law, Ouyang Yulin, recording their lives. In Xue Yanping's portrayal, all the characters are naturally caught in the whirlpool of desire, living out their painful, troublesome, and insignificant lives according to the logic of life. Occasionally, they may reveal their extraordinary and aloof nature, but for the most part, they live in incomplete, unanswered days, neither lonely nor despairing. They drift with the tide, letting things be, just like the mundane and natural ups and downs of life. Perhaps this is the path and method of redemption that Xue Yanping wants to tell us? Or perhaps she herself does not know, or perhaps it is nothing at all, only life itself. Of course, the title of the novel does reveal a hint of the courage to survive. The imperative "Let Me Get Closer" not only exposes the intensity of the author's inner anxiety but also conveys the warmth of human nature, thereby hinting at the eternal dilemma of humanity. An unfulfilled desire may shatter you, but it can also elevate you. In this dilemma, the only thing a person can do is to live, without narcissism or despair.