Bronze Age

Author: Wang Xiaobo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Wang Xiaobo Works Series, Trilogy of the Times. Selected by Asia Weekly as one of the "Top 100 Chinese Novels of the 20th Century" and hailed as the "Most Beautiful Harvest" in contemporary Chinese literature. The Golden Age, The Silver Age, and The Bronze Age are the essence of Wang Xiaobo's works. The Trilogy of the Times appears to be a collection of Wang Xiaobo's works, with seemingly no connection between each volume, but in reality, there is a logical sequence. This sequence is as follows: novels in The Golden Age depict the real world; those in The Silver Age portray a future world; and stories in The Bronze Age are set in the past. The Bronze Age is the third volume of the Trilogy of the Times. It is a long narrative set against the backdrop of ancient China's Tang Dynasty. The protagonists of this trilogy are ancient scholars and legendary figures. As a group of individuals who pursue individuality, love freedom, and wish to live according to their own values and spiritual beliefs, they are filled with a strong desire for creation and a sense of humanity. However, they are controlled and twisted by the power struggles of their time, turning wisdom and love into farcical comedies. In this long narrative, the author weaves together the exquisite and legendary tales of the Tang Dynasty—such as scholars and beauties, midnight elopements, long-distance searches for love, and the creation of great enterprises—to juxtapose modern love with Tang Dynasty legends, modernizing the legends and infusing them with contemporary charm. Through the recollection of the passage of time, the author fuses history with art, ultimately establishing an understanding of the ultimate value of life and introducing a narrative style where the narrator freely traverses the past, present, and future in a dialogic manner.