Roaming the rose in the dream

Author: Zhu Jiaxiong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: This series of novels showcases the works of young Chinese writers, presenting with remarkable sharpness the possibilities and challenges of contemporary Chinese writing. It reveals that at the turn of the millennium, Chinese literature still retained a sense of sensitivity and showed signs of decline. These works almost exclusively focus on the daily life experiences of the urban "middle class" in the era of globalization and marketization, often revealing a very interesting ambivalence toward the lifestyle of the "middle class." On one hand, these novels express a desire for a prosperous life and an aspiration for the sudden success brought by the "new economy." These works often depict young, educated women encountering stylish "new economy" entrepreneurs, and these novels rarely hide their desire for "success." On the other hand, these novels also exhibit a certain alternative rebelliousness, expressing dissatisfaction with the conventional values of the "middle class," a sentiment akin to the social discontent of the "Beat Generation" of years past.