Tilted in the palm of the city

Author: Zhu Jiaxiong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: This series of novels showcases the works of young Chinese writers, presenting with exceptional sharpness the possibilities and difficulties of contemporary Chinese writing. It reveals that at the turn of the millennium, Chinese literature still retained a sense of sensitivity and exhibited signs of decline. These works almost exclusively focus on the everyday experiences of the urban "middle class" in the era of globalization and marketization, often portraying a very interesting ambivalence towards the lifestyle of the "middle class." On one hand, these novels express a desire for a prosperous life and an aspiration for sudden success under the "new economy." They often depict young, educated women encountering trendy "new economy" successes, and these novels barely conceal their desire for "success." On the other hand, the novels also exhibit a certain alternative rebelliousness, expressing dissatisfaction with the conventional values of the "middle class," a sentiment closely resembling the social discontent of the "Beat Generation" of yesteryear.