If Fish Had Wings: Latest Prose by Chi Zijian

Author: Chi Zijian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: If fish had wings, they would possess two worlds—one beneath the water and one in the sky. When a fish in the sky flies, it might think that leaving its eggs on underwater pebbles is better than carving them into the vast sky, for the sky is such a wide sheet of paper. When a fish at the bottom of the sea laments that the world above has lost its splendor, the flying fish can still praise the magnificent ruins beneath it. If Fish Had Wings is divided into six sections, containing a total of 73 essays. The preface is a poem titled To My Love. "You have left / Since then, the rivers around me / Are two" – this poignant and beautiful song, with its Rilkean-style language that calls for the return of divinity to humanity, sings the overture like bronze. I regard the chapters I wrote in the section Spring Deep Remembrance as an inner spiritual journey and pain experienced through language. Indeed, after Chi Zijian's beloved passed away in a car accident, she endured "harsh, dark, and merciless" days. Though filled with sorrow, Chi Zijian remained strong. This led to a deeper understanding of the impermanence of life and a profound longing for her loved ones. Of course, apart from the chapters about her beloved, Chi Zijian explores a wide range of themes in this book. These include memories of childhood, reflections on travels abroad, musings on small animals, reading notes, and impressions of fellow writers. Reading the entire book, you will feel the harmony between nature and the author. For example, essays like Astronomical Phenomena in China's Arctic, Women and Flowers, and The Nights and Days of Lujiazui not only describe the growth and changes of nature from a unique female perspective but also reveal the philosophy of humanity as a mere speck in the vastness of nature.
Table of Contents:
A. Spring Deep Remembrance
B. How Time Walks
C. How Long Can a Drop of Water Live
D. The Inescapable "Weight" of Life
E. The Gray of Autumn Gold
F. The World Inside and Outside the Window