- Ugly and repulsive

Author: Wang Rui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: Wang Rui has been immersed in both Eastern and Western education. With a sharp eye, she observes the mentality and life pursuits of her generation of youth, representing the culture of the New China. She writes about these observations in her 100,000-word Chinese novel, "" (Intolerably Vulgar). This novel analyzes the society of flowing desires through the entanglements of four women, depicting the lives and mentality of this generation of youth in a comedic style. The love entanglements of the four girls in "Intolerably Vulgar" are reminiscent of the American series "Sex and the City," set against the backdrop of Beijing and Shanghai, reflecting the kaleidoscope of society. "Intolerably Vulgar" views the fast-paced,-oriented young generation of the 21st century from the perspective of returnees, and it is quite critical. The protagonists and their friends in the novel are all part of the new generation, sometimes referred to as "new humans." Like Wang Rui herself, it is difficult for me to find the right attitude toward her because of her newness and uniqueness. I often say that American teenagers to me are another kind of mammal. Seeing the group of twenty-somethings in Wang Rui's writing, I also suspend my scales of judgment—good and bad. My overall impression is that they truly dare to live! They truly dare to justify the pleasure of their senses! The so-called upper class they are involved in (、、), consisting of bars, gyms, parties, eccentric restaurants, facial care, beauty, and sexual activities, shows me an internationalized Beijing and a humanistic level close to that of a "concession culture." To be honest, I am very ignorant of the life of such a group. Wang Rui has given me a chance to get educated. Moreover, her characters, from their concepts to their lifestyles, have overturned my criteria of virtue/weakness, and even beauty/ugliness and good/evil. They have different paths of action in the metropolis compared to me, and in China's economic and cultural life, they have carved out a map that excites me yet feels unfamiliar. The humanistic landscape they are forming will bring new hardships and joys. For me, they not only fill my information gaps but also challenge my values.