Our Humble Souls - 4

Author: Xiong Zhengliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Looking at Xiong Zhengliang's novels, one can see his narrative skills and artistic level, reaching a high point among his contemporaries. His handling of themes, his grasp of structure, and his penetrating portrayal of human nature and fate all demonstrate Xiong Zhengliang's extraordinary talent. I have not encountered another Chinese writer who uses such oil-painting-like brushstrokes and perspectives to depict our world. In this regard, he is very similar to Claude Simon, but this is due to his own innate gift—actually, he was originally a painter—rather than because of imitating Claude Simon. This kind of novel born from "the eye" and its visual narration is a product of pure personal experience, making it almost impossible to find a similar work.