The Story of Ah Q

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Although I have tried to do so, I still cannot be entirely confident that I can truly write about the soul of modern Chinese people. To portray the soul of such silent citizens is indeed a difficult task in China, because, as has been said, we are after all not people of an un-reformed China, so we remain disconnected from one another, and even our own hands barely understand our own feet. Although I have strived to explore the souls of people, I often feel a sense of detachment. In the future, all the people trapped within high walls should awaken, step out, and speak out. But now, such cases are rare, so I can only rely on my own perception and write these things in solitude, presenting them as the life of China that I have witnessed.
Lu Xun, Preface to the Russian Translation