Cross-Century Series: (Volume 7) White-Backed Black-Spot Butterfly

Author: Pan Jun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-01-01
Features: Pan Jun's works embody a spirit of heroism and a Hemingway-esque tough-guy ethos. However, much like Hemingway's relentless exploration of death, while Pan Jun predominantly captures and revels in the essence of life, his works, like those of all modernist novelists, are filled with his genuine experience of fear of life. Cross-Century Literary Collection synthesizes the new achievements of Chinese literature since the 1980s, carrying forward tradition while paving the way for a new landscape in contemporary Chinese literature, contributing its modest share. It will herald the dawn of a new literary century! To date, 59 writers have been invited to join this collection, all of whom are elite or relatively elite writers from the new era, spanning three generations—old, middle-aged, and young—with a majority of middle-aged and young writers. Like the previous six issues, this edition maintains a high standard and quality while catering to readers' reading needs and expectations. It upholds the realist tradition of Chinese literature while advocating openness, exploration, and diversity. Pan Jun, one of China's representative avant-garde novelists, has always been a subject of academic study due to his unique creative style. His works have won numerous awards and have been published overseas. The works collected in this volume remain primarily short and medium-length fiction. In Chapter 48 of The Life of an American, published in November 1990, Ronald Reagan narrates two somber events in melancholic prose: "On October 19, 1987," the former president writes, "the stock market crashed, with a single-day decline unmatched since 1914, having previously reached record highs." Next, he describes Dr. John Hutton of the White House medical team arriving at the Oval Office. This man calmly informs the president of a fact: Nancy, First Lady, was diagnosed with a hard lump in her left breast during a routine mammogram, indicating a malignant tumor, requiring surgery. Thus, on the autumn of that year, the First Lady of the United States lost her left breast, while her husband's country experienced a stock market crash. From a reading perspective, Ronald Reagan's narration gives the impression that the stock market crash was caused by the First Lady losing an important breast. However, the former president's account is vivid. In today's world, as the century nears its end, vividness seems all the more important. Our lives are increasingly like a newspaper that rises in price every day, emitting the scent of cinnamon. October 1987 was also a gloomy season for Captain of the Taiwan Rainforest Base. This young and handsome club director was the star of the base. He was skilled in writing and painting, and even the most dull words became vivid stories when spoken by him. Seven months after being transferred to the rainforest, did something noteworthy: he married a nurse named Bai Xiaoyu.