We all go to Hailar

Author: Zhang Chi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: Zhang Chi possesses excellent character and demeanor, and he also wrote poetry in his early years. Therefore, the stories are connected in spirit, neither too warm nor too fiery, with every word carefully chosen, making them enjoyable without being exhausting (A Cheng). There's a touch of rogue-like charm in Zhang Chi's novels. In real life, this rogueishness might be ordinary, but in his fiction, it becomes endearing. I think the rogue is a particularly typical figure in literature (Wang Shuo). As early as the time of the experts, it was pointed out that Zhang Chi's novels and essays are as enduring as they are, with a clear inheritance from The New Stories of the World's Sayings (Shishuo Xinyu). He writes in bits and pieces, "before the (jue shu - skill or technique) is exhausted." Zhang Chi possesses a rare sense of humor among Chinese writers, with laughter mixed with sorrow. The characters he portrays are self-destructive and stumble, and their repeated falls give rise to comedy, while others find solace in their misfortunes. Making the novel "make a sound" (literally "write it out with a voice") was pioneered by Lao She, and now it's Zhang Chi. At the moment the train from Beijing departs for Hailar, the protagonist falls off the train, resulting in a fracture. Was this an accident or a premeditated act? During the 100 days of recovery from his injury, he lies at home, reflecting. Perhaps because he had too few of his own faults to dwell on, he quickly moved on to thinking about others'. Therefore, this is not a typical mystery novel, nor is it a pretentious confessional. Beneath the tough, dramatic exterior, one can glimpse the fate of humanity. Unlike his previous works, this time he shows great restraint in his humor, allegedly to make the reflection more powerful. Only when you no longer feel this power will humor reassert itself. It will be a meandering, interwoven reading experience of tension and relaxation. Who knows why we all go to Hailar.