Strange Currents in a Decade (Full Two Volumes)

Author: Wu Jianren (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: In April 1903, Li Boyuan's The Real Story of the officials began serialization in World Splendor Newspaper. A month later, Li Boyuan's friend, the talented journalist Wu Jianren, left the press world and devoted himself to writing novels. In October, Strange Currents in a Decaying World began serialization in the New Fiction magazine, causing a huge sensation. Like The Real Story of the Officials, Strange Currents in a Decaying World is a work that exposes, condemns, satirizes, and denounces reality. The difference lies in Li Boyuan's focus on the officialdom, while Wu Jianren depicted and exposed the "current state of Chinese governance." In its 108 chapters, the novel presents readers with a historical panorama of the feudal society on the brink of collapse. Strange Currents in a Decaying World typically reflects the artistic style of Wu Jianren's novels—sharp in wit, biting in satire, flowing with passion, and a mix of solemnity and humor. Due to Wu Jianren's intense emotions and his hatred for evil, the descriptions in the novel are often exaggerated and somewhat unrealistic, which is a flaw of the work.