National secret

Author: Chen Changping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: This book was selected for the 2004 Novel Rankings. It expresses reflection on those specific years of the Republic through surreal techniques. The protagonist, the unassuming commoner child Xiao Liuzi, can predict major national events and political trends through dreams. Powerful figures from all walks of life then flock to him, competing to use Xiao Liuzi as a stepping stone for their own advancement. Xiao Liuzi is pushed by unseen hands onto the spotlight of the era's stage, becoming a focal point. When the clamor fades and everything becomes empty, the true self of the quietly growing teenager Xiao Liuzi is finally revealed. "Are people sick, does heaven know?" The use of irony, parody, and a tone that is both solemn and playful fully manifests the mental state of fear and the collective frenzy of the absurd era in the book. The young Xiao Liuzi, in a peculiar way, mysteriously grasps the pulse of "state secrets," which leads him and his family into an unpredictable vortex, experiencing twists and turns, ups and downs. What kind of "state secret" makes this utterly ordinary family mysteriously draw the attention of leaders and the Provincial Party Committee compound, leading them to heavily guard it with guards? And what are the real intentions of those leaders and the Provincial Party Committee compound hidden behind the green trees? The unexpected answers are about to be revealed. This book expresses reflection on those specific years of the Republic. The unassuming commoner child Xiao Liuzi can predict major national events and political trends through dreams, leading powerful figures from all walks of life to flock to him, competing to use Xiao Liuzi as a stepping stone for their own advancement. Xiao Liuzi is pushed by unseen hands onto the spotlight of the era's stage, becoming a focal point. When the clamor fades and everything becomes empty, the true self of the quietly growing teenager Xiao Liuzi is finally revealed. "Are people sick, does heaven know?" The use of irony, parody, and a tone that is both solemn and playful fully manifests the mental state of fear and the collective frenzy of the absurd era in the book. The young Xiao Liuzi, in a peculiar way, mysteriously grasps the pulse of "state secrets," which leads him and his family into an unpredictable vortex, experiencing twists and turns, ups and downs. What kind of "state secret" makes this utterly ordinary family mysteriously draw the attention of leaders and the Provincial Party Committee compound, leading them to heavily guard it with guards? And what are the real intentions of those leaders and the Provincial Party Committee compound hidden behind the green trees? The unexpected answers are about to be revealed.