Love on sad days

Author: Wen Quanjie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The original online version of "A Confession of a Junior Student" was ranked as one of the "Top Trending Posts on University Campuses in 2004" and was named the "Most Anticipated Youth Reading Book of 2005." This is the first long monologue-style novel in China, pioneering the genre of youth memory literature. The university students born in this era belong to a generation of confusion, standing at the threshold of the century, gazing into the distance without knowing which way to go. The beautiful university campus depicts a monotonous life of three lines—classes, meals, and sleep. The eloquence of teachers contrasts sharply with the drowsiness of students, while student union and club activities leave them numb. The rapid development of society brings a strong impact of diverse ideologies, and changes in social status and crises of faith lead to spiritual exhaustion. As a result, they become increasingly confused, less happy, and develop more dreams, more frustrations, and more rebelliousness.
The author of the novel is a junior student who published the article online, which quickly spread. Netizens called it a work of blood and tears. Later, this article was ranked as one of the "Top Trending Posts on University Campuses in 2004." After the novel went online, many netizens left comments, saying that my writing style is very similar to Guo Jingming’s, very similar, almost like his carbon copy. Some even asked if I were Guo Jingming’s brother. I am grateful for every reader’s feedback. What I want to say is that I am not Guo Jingming, I am not as talented as he is, nor as lucky. I have never tried to imitate him. For me, the era of imitation is over. However, I still love his novels. He is a writer who writes with emotions, and I like emotionally resonant works. Similarly, I am also a writer who writes with emotions—it’s something I was born with, perhaps related to my experiences. I just write about real things and real emotions. It remains youth literature. A unique youth literature. A self-portrait of a university student’s heart. A reflection of the hearts of countless university students. It stands out for its depth in exploring the living conditions and psychological states of contemporary university students, rather than relying on sensational plots. Real stories, real emotions, real words, leaving readers with lasting shock.
Long passages of heartfelt monologues, intertwining beauty and sorrow, dreams and reality. Love and friendship are the two main themes. Love is to the left, friendship is to the right. Love and friendship are like two parallel iron tracks, running through the entire novel. The emotions of Rong and Xinwen are persistent and timeless, but they never appear on stage. Friendship is a kind of brotherly bond. Many stories and tears revolve around love and friendship. Lingyu’s escape, Xinwen’s drifting, Ai Lian’s Tibetan dream—therefore, this book is more like a long prose-style novel than a plot-driven one.