Biography of Jia Pingwa -- Chinese Contemporary Writers Biography Series (First Series)

Author: Li Xing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Timid and humble in life, subdued and lowly, yet unrestrained, free, and daring to climb high and take risks in his works—this is a contradictory person. Because of his deep love, he is extremely sensitive, unable to tolerate even a speck of dust in his eyes, and cannot bear any filth in life, transforming into a fervent calm, a startled panic, and an urgent envy. His eyes are filled with tears and melancholy. Using China's traditional methods of expressing beauty, he authentically portrays the lives and emotions of modern Chinese people—this is what he pursues in his creation. —Jia Pingwa has undergone two arduous struggles that played a decisive role in shaping his later creative work. One is the 20-year struggle of life, which cultivated his indomitable spirit of striving, perseverance, and self-reliance. In this world, his first priority was to secure his own existence and gain recognition from others. The other struggle is the arduous self-discipline during his preparation period for creative work at Northwest University, which forged his unyielding and indomitable fighting spirit. As a son of the mountains, he felt psychologically inferior in the sacred hall of literature and in the face of boisterous city dwellers. Faced with others' superiority, he could not help but feel inferior and self-deprecating. He deeply understands the difficulties of literature, taking one step at a time, yet remaining steadfast, with slow but steady steps. Jia Pingwa had extensive exposure to traditional Chinese philosophy and the classics of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Although these philosophies are vastly different, he saw the "unity" in them—that the vast and diverse world can all be reduced to "one," to a philosophical explanation. The philosophy embedded in these explanations is deeply appealing, but it cannot be accepted in its original form today. Thus, he began his journey to find his own "one," attempting to establish an independent worldview for himself—an expansive philosophy, a life philosophy, and an aesthetic philosophy.
Jia Pingwa: A Critical Biography, a full-length work of 200,000 words, consists of 18 chapters that chronologically depict Jia Pingwa's creative development, his reading life, poetry, calligraphy, painting, personality, psychology, and the literary significance of his works. Through numerous vivid and meticulous details, the book allows readers to see how Jia Pingwa is a "contradictory person who is timid, humble, and subdued in life, yet unrestrained, free, and daring to climb high and take risks in his works."