Red X

Author: Li Shǎshǎ
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The story of a teenager named Shen Shengtie, as depicted in Li Shǎshǎ's novel Red X. Such a problem child may be familiar to us—we see him sink into resistance against the world he became too familiar with at an early age. The exhaustion after resisting only makes him lose the world's only sense of novelty. Li Shǎshǎ strives to give a perfect discount to a phase of growing up. His narration shifts between sharpness and tenderness, elegance and punk, poetic imagery and utter chaos. Unlike many writers who would naturally rub salt into Shen Shengtie's wounds, Li Shǎshǎ offers him endless sympathy and love. It is this love that gives the novel its burning pain and sorrow, allowing us to grasp the fragile tragedy hidden deep within the heart of a youth.
Fifteen years ago, the protagonist Shen Shengtie's father fled Xi'an after killing a rival. Now, expelled from school, Shen Shengtie wanders the city silently as a student. Amidst restlessness and confusion, in a chaotic and ever-changing world, he begins his youthful experiences. He dares not return home and unwillingly relies on his girlfriend's support for a long time, resorting to theft instead. Once the stolen money runs out, he dreams of getting rich through his own inventions. When the dream collapses, he is forced to do manual labor to survive. Guilt and life's failures make it impossible for him to calmly view any small matter.
Eventually, when the girl he cherished is trampled by those around her, he fills the world with doubts and can no longer live rationally. He considers taking a knife to escape his inner guilt and boards a train, following the railway his father took fifteen years ago, to meet the last person he can trust.