Mojan Short Story Collection (Upper and Lower)

Author: Mo Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: Mo Yan, a renowned contemporary Chinese writer, is celebrated in Chinese literary circles for his unique creative techniques. To date, he has published nearly ten full-length novels and over a hundred short stories. His novels are known for their vibrant colors, novel sensations, and rich, distinctive imagery, which create an artistic world in the northeastern village of Gaomi County—similar to Macondo in Gabriel García Márquez's works—that has earned him the nickname "China's García Márquez" from some critics. His memories of rural life serve as the material and background for many of his literary works. From the full-length novels Red Sorghum Clan and Herbivorous Clan to the short stories Transparent Red Carrots, Golden-Haired Baby, Your Behavior Makes Us Fear, and White Dog Swing, as both a witness and participant in rural life, Mo Yan extensively employs the first-person perspective to describe the people and events there, and the profound farmer culture rooted there. A thousand words cannot compare to Mo Yan's verbosity. Mo Yan calls himself "Mo" (meaning "don't speak"), yet his pen produces endless words. No matter the subject, his flowing, rich, and intricate diction is his trademark. This is perhaps a game of self-deprecation or self-affirmation for a novelist. Also, due to this abundance of words, it has attracted countless critical responses. Discussions about Mo Yan range from feminism to nationalist discourse, which have indeed led to numerous conferences and theses in recent years. However, amidst the clamor of academia, Mo Yan seems to remain silent, indifferent to the myriad interpretations of his novelists. Any claims about Mo Yan's literary aspirations must be grounded in this self-awareness. Mo Yan was born into a farming family in Gaomi County, Shandong Province. Gaomi is a remote corner of the Jiaodong Peninsula, with poor soil and simple customs, and has never been known for its literary traditions. Mo Yan attended primary school until the fifth grade before dropping out due to the Cultural Revolution. From the age of eleven to seventeen, he became a true farmer. Afterward, he worked as a temporary laborer in a factory, before eventually leaving his hometown to join the army. During his military service, the young Mo Yan developed a deep interest in literature, and the greatest inspiration for his creative endeavors came not from anything else but the very sights and scenes of his hometown, Gaomi.