Wolf Smoke Beijing (Rush Purchase)

Author: Du Liang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: War novelist Du Liang returns to Beijing with Liang Jian (The Sword of Lightning), igniting the raging smoke of war across the North China Plain. He recreates the tumultuous 1930s and 1940s, taking us back to the great War of Resistance against Japan and the War of Liberation. Unlike Liang Jian, which depicts battles on the battlefield with swords and horses, Wolf Smoke in Beijing shifts its setting to Beijing, then under occupation and later a part of the Nationalist-controlled area. This era and background are inherently dramatic, making any story unrelatable. Thus, the plot is more thrilling, and the characters more legendary.
Following Liang Jian and Romantic Blood, war novelist Du Liang once again turns his focus to Beijing, igniting the raging smoke of war across the North China Plain. He recreates the tumultuous 1930s and 1940s, taking us back to the great War of Resistance against Japan and the War of Liberation. Unlike Liang Jian, which depicts battles on the battlefield with swords and horses, Wolf Smoke in Beijing shifts its setting to Beijing, then under occupation and later a part of the Nationalist-controlled area. This era and background are inherently dramatic, making any story unrelatable. Thus, the plot is more thrilling, and the characters more legendary.
The plot of the book progresses through two intertwined main threads. The cooperation and rivalry between underground workers from the Kuomintang and the Communist Party form one major thread. The mystery of intelligence work, the excitement of assassination and eliminating traitors, the brutality of torture and interrogation, the romance intertwined with revolution, and the heart-wrenching deaths—all are interwoven with a strong sense of realism. The other thread focuses on the lives of ordinary people at the bottom of society. Modern Chinese writer, master of depicting the humble folk of Beijing, undoubtedly is Mr. Lao She. His status has remained unchallenged for decades. However, the younger Du Liang has arrived, writing about rickshaw pullers, the Tianqiao market, crickets, teahouses, and snacks. The vulgarity of street slang, the true nature of ruffians, the hidden patience, numbness, selfishness, and ugliness of the national psyche are laid bare. These two threads meander and intertwine, creating a three-dimensional portrayal of wartime Beijing. Whether it is the vast nation or the humblest citizen, they all endure unprecedented suffering and contradictions. And Beijing, accustomed to dynastic changes, stages another performance of rise and fall. (The novel’s timeline does not end here; due to plot requirements, it extends slightly into the Cultural Revolution period.)
Against this grand backdrop, Du Liang examines the plight of the Chinese people—and even humanity—in war, reflecting on the demonic nature of war and its meaning for human civilization. Through the fates of various characters in the novel, Du Liang reveals the unpredictability of life and the rise and fall of history. The profound sense of sorrow and reflection embedded within the novel embody the essence and highest realm of Chinese literature. At the end, the weathered Kuomintang intelligence officer Xu Jinguo stands shoulder to shoulder with the Communist Party underground member Fang Jinglin. On the Jingshan Mountain, bathed in the setting sun, they sigh over the rise and fall, surrounded by desolation.
Through his sensibility and rationality, Du Liang conveys a sense of history and rise and fall that transcends time and society, showcasing his vision and perspective. Discussing the rise and fall of Beijing is, in essence, discussing the rise and fall of China.