Brother (Part 1): Yu Hua's decade-long silence breaks the silence

Author: Yu Hua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Yu Hua particularly emphasized that he pursued narrative intensity in this novel, striving to present details comprehensively and deeply. "It has a touch of Dickens," Yu Hua said. He gave an example: the details of Li Guangtou and Song Gang waiting at the station for their mother, which he wrote about for thousands of words. If written in his previous style, it would have been enough in just a few sentences. He said, "In terms of narration, the novel chose a direct, relentless approach, without retreating or avoiding, and without using clever tricks." The reporter noticed that compared to the cruelty and brutality in his previous works, this novel depicted much warmth and beautiful family life. Yu Hua stated that he did not abandon his skill in depicting cruelty, but in this novel, the experiences of cruelty intertwined with the warmth of family emotions. He said, "Because the external environment was so harsh, family life seemed particularly warm." Yu Hua explained that without the warmth and loyalty of family to moderate, he himself might not have been able to continue writing.
When talking about Brothers, Yu Hua repeatedly expressed confidence in the quality of his new work, considering it richer and more fulfilling than Shutang and To Live. He believed it had indeed brought new changes and hoped readers would accept the him of ten years later. Brothers tells the life stories of two brothers, Li Guangtou and Song Gang, from a small town in Jiangnan. Li Guangtou's father died in an embarrassing accident on the same day Li Guangtou was born. Song Gang's father, Song Fanping, stepped forward in the face of mockery and helped Li Guangtou's mother, Li Lan, who regarded him as a benefactor. Several years later, Song Gang's mother also passed away. Li Lan and Song Fanping fell in love and married through mutual support, despite the scorn and ridicule of the townspeople. Their marriage remained deeply devoted, and Li Guangtou and Song Gang, the adopted brothers without blood ties, also developed a strong bond.
Through the collapse of a reconstituted family during the Cultural Revolution, the novel portrays the catastrophic clash between individual fate and the will of power, while also highlighting the solid connection between human love and survival. Yu Hua's new narrative style is believed to make his fans feel that the ten years of waiting were completely worth it. Brothers is a novel born from the intersection of two eras—the first set during the Cultural Revolution, and the second set in the present. Yu Hua once said, "Writing is not a way of life, but a way of discovery. It uses something to mobilize past life experiences and gives them a new appearance."
When narrating the past in Brothers, although it does not shy away from the shared historical memories, it discovers the vastness of love from specific historical hardships. Yu Hua also said, "In fact, I only realized what kind of novel I was writing when I was writing the second part. Writers are drawn to writing about distant stories because in the distant past, it is easier to find the fascinating in literature. When I wrote the second part, I suddenly realized that contemporary China is full of, that it is a reality and combined. This is a rare era for a narrator—just by writing the truth of the present, one also writes a lasting."
In the first part of Brothers, all the named characters, as long as they are still alive, will have even more vivid performances in the second part, and it will be both touching and absurd. The first and second parts are two completely different eras, and it is the intertwined joys and sorrows of the characters that connect the two parts. "Think about contemporary China, then recall the China of the Cultural Revolution—two vastly different eras, yet they happened to the same people. These are two extremes in the history of human civilization, yet they are linked by the same generation. This is the passion that drives me to write."