Zhang Yuoran · Vow Bird

Author: Zhang Yuoran
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Unlike those "youth writers," Zhang Yuoran's stories are not merely about youthful indulgence and rebellion against tradition. Instead, she carefully dreams and seeks proof, reflects and gains insights amidst the confusion of growing up. Her novels lack the fashionable cynicism found in most works by "youth writers," the verbose and aimless clamor, and the petty wordplay that still carries a student-like tone. All of this is inseparable from the depth of her thoughts. Her reflections often transcend her age, touching upon many fundamental questions of human existence. While sages and scholars may not provide definitive answers to these questions, the mere extension of her thinking to this level brings literature closer to its essence. Memory is so beautiful, worth a soul shattering for it. During her 700 days in the magical South Seas, Zhang Yuoran sought a broken story from historical ruins, was struck by a tsunami she witnessed, and received mysterious from a shell, giving birth to this magnificent and moving novel. Against the backdrop of the grand historical context of the Age of Discovery, a beautiful Chinese woman journeys far to the South Seas. The tsunami steals her memory, and she drifts through the sea and on islands, enduring abuse and abandonment, suffering through childbirth, illness, and imprisonment. She blinds herself to find the lost fragments of her memory. The Vow Bird, also known as the Precious Bird, has white beaks and red feet, and dedicates its entire life to filling the sea, unwavering until death. Zhang Yuoran continues the themes of her previous works, recounting once again a myth about belief, perseverance, and resilience. The heroine's appearance resembles the Vow Bird—pale lips and crimson feet. Zhang Yuoran even cruelly arranges for her to blind herself and have her nails torn off, searching through every shell in the sea to read the memories inscribed within. The story unfolds against the grand historical backdrop of the Age of Discovery. A beautiful Chinese girl named Chun Chi journeys far to the South Seas. The tsunami steals her memory, and she drifts through the sea and on islands, enduring abuse and abandonment, suffering through childbirth, illness, and imprisonment. She willingly dedicates her entire life to finding her past. Chun Chi ultimately fails to find the shell that holds her memories in the vast sea, but she does not let her story fade into obscurity. Some say they have seen a blind woman in the ruins of the old city, sweeping over the dead like a bird, picking up shells scattered around them or held in their hands. The soldiers who invaded the Shell City have all seen this woman dancing on the collapsing wooden beams and the bodies of the dead with her crimson feet. She covers the eyes of sick children, guiding them to read the shells filled with memories of joy, healing them of their ailments. She is regarded as a saint. She is the richest woman in the world. Pirates, singers, eunuchs, tribal leaders, and Western priests—all their fates intertwine in the magical and enchanting scenery of the South Seas. Zhang Yuoran continues her elegant and cruel brushwork, adding a touch of magic to write a tragic story that grips the heart.