Private Dinner: Masterpieces of Contemporary Artists

Author: Su Tong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This book is one of the volumes in the "Representative Works of Contemporary Masters." "Representative Works of Contemporary Masters" includes selected works of six "literary pillars": Shu Ting, Su Tong, Wang Anyi, Can Xue, Liu Xinglong, and Zhang Xin. These six writers have been devoted to literature since the 1980s, viewing literature as a life-affirming endeavor worthy of lifelong dedication. If creative output 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 emerged suddenly, shocking the world; nor are they literary giants who wield influence, upholding tradition and paving the way for successors; nor are they newcomers who seek attention with wild antics or self-promotion. They have established their own creative resumes and reputations, developed fixed literary perspectives and market channels, and forged a distinctive, personal writing style. Through their works, we can glimpse the trajectory of their literary creation. Su Tong is a significant writer of China's New Period literature. Since the 1980s, he has published numerous long, medium, and short stories. Many of the novelistic trends of China's New Period are associated with this "young old" writer. For example, avant-garde fiction, the cinematic approach to storytelling, and new historical fiction, among others. This book includes some of his representative works. His novels generally exhibit an elegant, feminine, yet melancholic and cold style, with beautiful imagery beneath a sense of death and unsettling conspiracies. It can be seen as a sample of all Su Tong's novels. This is the secret of Su Tong's works—a beautiful dance that brings misfortune, like a witch's curse. This book selects 12 of his medium and short stories.