Sorrowful Land

Author: Wang Anyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: [Preface] If we count from 2001, five years have passed since the Chinese literature of the new century. The literary ranks have further diversified. Today, when the media operates literature, a new generation of writers emerges endlessly, and critics are exhausted from creating new terms to summarize literary phenomena. Therefore, in recent years, many have named literary trends after the birth years of writers, from the 1960s, 1970s, to the recently hyped "post-80s." It seems that time is a mold, and writers of the same era are all cut from the same cloth. During our planning, we also encountered the same issue: how to use a single term to encompass the creations of the six writers included in this series. Although this is the publisher's requirement, for the planners of this series, it indeed requires such inclusiveness and appeal. Thus, we proposed the concept of "Literary Mainstay."
The term "mainstay" originally refers to the most important and powerful part of an ancient army that plays a critical role in battle. "The general of the central army is respected and resides in the center, supported by the strongest troops, hence the term 'mainstay.'" Now, it is used to describe the contributions of six mid-aged writers—Li Feiyan, Su Tong, Wang Anyi, Can Xue, Liu Xinglong, and Zhang Xin—to the Chinese literary scene over the past two decades. Calling them "Literary Mainstays" is well-deserved.
"Mainstay" is not entirely determined by the age of the writers but rather by their overall contributions to literature. It requires a group of writers to share the fate of literature, growing alongside its development, and to their youthful ideals, dreams, and traces of life into it. These six writers have been devoted to the literary cause since the 1980s. In their eyes, literature is a life-affirming endeavor, worthy of lifelong dedication. If creative time is also a form of life, then those who have been engaged in it for over two decades can be considered middle-aged. They are no longer young avant-garde figures who appear suddenly, shocking the world; nor are they literary giants who dominate the scene and pass on traditions; nor are they newcomers who seek attention with wild antics or charm. They have already established their own creative resumes and reputations, developed fixed literary perspectives and market channels, and formed unique writing styles marked by their personal. Yet, they continue to progress with society. They stand firm at the forefront, supporting the rear, carving out their own space—the essence of "main."
Regardless of how the world changes or how the new generation looks down upon them, they can be said to have become an invincible force. Since the 1990s, the world has been turbulent, and literature has been marginalized. Over the first five years of the new century, this trend has worsened. However, these writers have successively produced their masterpieces, proving the resilience of literary ideals. This is the meaning of "main."
In fact, "Literary Mainstays" extend beyond these six writers. In today's literary scene, there is a large group of such literary mainstays, who, through their diligence and effort, continuously use their new works to witness, flourish, and advance contemporary Chinese literature over the past two decades. The reason this series includes the works of these six writers is simple—they were all selected from Shanghai Literature magazine. Since its revival after the Cultural Revolution, Shanghai Literature has actively participated in the development of contemporary literature, uniting a group of writers around it, recommending their outstanding works to readers, and elevating writers through readers' anticipation. These six writers have published numerous works in this magazine, spanning over a decade. The earliest works may date back to the early 1980s, while the most recent are the latest fruits of this year.
Now, writers are influenced by the market, often dazzling the world with massive works. However, the short stories and novellas published in this magazine are precisely their representative and breakthrough works from those years. We have collected and edited these works for this series, allowing readers to see the trajectory of the writers' creativity and glimpse the magazine's unwavering sincerity and purpose.
When it comes to Wang Anyi, anyone familiar with the Chinese literary scene will not be unfamiliar with her. Wang Anyi is a unique and rich presence in contemporary Chinese literature. From her 1981 work Rain, Rain, Rain to her 2000 novel Fuping, over the past two decades, Wang Anyi has consistently written with resilience and joy about her life experiences, spiritual adventures, and life aspirations. Her essays themselves radiate the authenticity and simplicity of life, devoid of ornate or deliberately contrived language. Each essay is a life, a microcosm of a real life—simple, so much so that one can almost smell the earthy purity and kindness in it. This book selects five of her short stories and novellas.
This book is part of the "Representative Works of Contemporary Masters." The "Representative Works of Contemporary Masters" includes selected works of six "Literary Mainstays"—Li Feiyan, Su Tong, Wang Anyi, Can Xue, Liu Xinglong, and Zhang Xin. These six writers have been devoted to the literary cause since the 1980s. In their eyes, literature is a life-affirming endeavor, worthy of lifelong dedication. If creative time is also a form of life, then those who have been engaged in it for over two decades can be considered middle-aged. They are no longer young avant-garde figures who appear suddenly, shocking the world; nor are they literary giants who dominate the scene and pass on traditions; nor are they newcomers who seek attention with wild antics or charm. They have already established their own creative resumes and reputations, developed fixed literary perspectives and market channels, and formed unique writing styles marked by their personal. Let us glimpse the trajectory of their literary creativity through their works.