The Story of Hulan River

Author: Xiao Hong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The Story of Hulan River, a novel written in Hong Kong in 1940 and published by Guilin He Shan Publishing House in 1941. This work is a late masterpiece of Xiao Hong, expressing the author's negation of the distorted human nature and damaged personalities in the social reality of old China through reminiscences of various figures and life scenes from her hometown. Many scholars have noted the "loneliness and melancholy" conveyed in the work, which can also be understood from this perspective. Of course, what deserves attention is the unique artistic personality of this work. Mao Dun has a comprehensive grasp of it, which is quite accurate—"But I feel that it is even better and more meaningful precisely because it is not completely like an autobiography." Moreover, can we not say: the key is not that The Story of Hulan River is not a strictly defined novel, but that beyond this "unlikeness," there are other things—things more "alluring" than resembling a novel: it is a narrative poem, a colorful landscape painting, a series of poignant ballads. There is satire, and there is humor. At the beginning of reading, there is a sense of lightness, but as you delve deeper, your heart will gradually become heavy. Yet, there is still beauty—even if this beauty is somewhat sickening, it still cannot help but captivate you.