My Father Zhang Henshui: Snow Mud Imprints

Author: Zhang Wu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: In his old study at home, his father once meditated-like in solitude, studying and writing without leaving the house for years, and unexpectedly, an internationally renowned "Zhang Henshu" emerged from there. It is said that through a chance encounter, his father met his mother at the recreational activities of Chunming Women's High School and fell deeply in love at first sight. After the Nanjing Massacre, his father once decided to go into guerrilla warfare in the mountains but had no opportunity to volunteer. He poured his patriotic passion and righteous indignation onto paper, leaving behind numerous semi-fictional anti-Japanese novels. In the turbulent political movements, he could endure solitude, placing fame and disgrace aside, remaining unpretentious and not following the crowd, upholding his principles. This was his simplicity and also his cleverness. His father not only wrote a lot but also, as soon as his novels were published, they immediately caused a sensation. Among readers, there were fans of The Golden Dust Family, A Love in a Fallen City, and "Zhang Henshu" fans. Even more astonishing is that his father could write multiple novels simultaneously—at his peak, he could be working on seven long serial novels at once. Moreover, he never wrote drafts; he composed directly on manuscript paper. In his early years, he used calligraphy brushes with regular script, his handwriting neat and uncluttered, with very few corrections. After the 1940s, he switched to using pencils and carbon paper, producing two copies at a time, with clear and upright handwriting. Those who have seen his manuscripts have all been deeply impressed.