The petty details of the seventh generation

Author: Wei Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: "Being born in the 1970s is a blessing. At fifteen, one becomes a literary youth; at eighteen, one forms a band and becomes a disillusioned youth; in one's early twenties, one lives in a basement pretending to be an artist; at thirty, one starts to gain weight and engage in corruption." The Messy Life of the 70s Generation records the growth journey and living conditions of a generation born between the late 1960s and the late 1970s. It avoids pretentious and self-absorbed analysis, instead using playful and spirited writing to document a series of growing-up anecdotes, conveying the unique spiritual temperament of this generation. The book is divided into two parts. The first part consists of a series of independent yet interconnected short essays about childhood, youth, growth, ideals, emotions, and more. The text is filled with wit, irony, black humor, malicious humor, and extreme absurdity, making the life of the 70s generation in Wei Yan's writing resemble countless extravagant, lavish carnivals in bold colors. However, behind the carnival where the dregs resurface, a sudden, sorrowful dagger is shot, striking our soft spots and leaving us utterly devastated, crumbling into ashes of sadness. Wei Yan's humor is thus both sophisticated and clever. The second part is The 70s Generation Memoir, organized by keywords from eight perspectives: food, play, use, clothing, viewing, listening, learning, and events. It reconstructs the shared memories of the 70s generation, serving as an indispensable nostalgia treasury for them. The design of this book is equally commendable. The designer incorporated the marks of the era into all the visuals using collage techniques, making every small detail a surprise. It is not only nostalgic but also fashionable and impactful.