A complete mess

Author: Orange
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This is a novel that makes readers constantly think and reflect on youth, growth, and reality. Although humorous, it is not frivolous, and every young friend will find traces of their life, emotions, and thoughts in it—Professor Dong Xuewen of the Peking University Chinese Department. "A Mess," who knows whose clumsy idea it was to abbreviate Peking University's "One Tower, One Lake, and One Library" as such. Unknowingly, I have spent seven years in this beautiful, common park with squirrels and white herons, an original ecosystem. Although modern buildings keep popping up among the ancient trees and dense forests, and although the abundant wild grasses and February violets are gradually being devoured by neat, expensive lawns, I still like this place, subconsciously treating it as my home. Many classmates who graduated are the same. They even hope that their workplaces are not too far from here. Why? Is it because of the beauty and glory here? No, it's far from that simple. If you visit the 50,000 teachers and friends here now, 50,000 teachers and friends, they will give me a million more reasons. Among the million reasons to love Peking University, one worth mentioning is—here, I once spent my best youth. Youth is like the tomato and egg dish I made—a messy mess, which I proudly call "The Age of Sixteen." Many literary figures praise the beauty of youth, but many people don't know that youth is the toughest stage of a person's life because it faces so many challenges. The most important task is how to grow from a teenager into a mature social person, how to deal with the huge changes and endless impulses from oneself. So, I think, just as "on that dark, pitch-black night, drenched by the storm of youth, you met me, sorrowful yet beautiful," the only appropriate adjective for our youth is "a mess." With a pure and sincere heart of "I must be great," I selected this book, A Messy Summer, and A Freshman at Tsinghua, from more than ten novel manuscripts. The time spent editing and preparing for the publication of this book exceeded a year, and I can only dedicate it to you, those who are in their youth and those who have had those beautiful years. I hope it will win your favor and love, and that you will recommend it to your best friends and loved ones. This is truly a genius novel, one of Peking University's finest original works, and no one, no book review or introduction, can replace your own heart's reading. It is one of the best reads, especially if you are between 16 and 32 years old.