Go girl

Author: Shan Sa
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: Shan Sa no longer tells us about China in ink and wash landscapes, but like Lao She and Ba Jin, she tells us about China in the war-torn era. The heart-wrenching female go player also portrays her own life, as this game of go becomes a symbol of love and death in the final second. This novel is a love story set against the backdrop of occupied Northeast China during World War II. It describes the romance between a sixteen-year-old high school girl obsessed with go and a Japanese officer. Due to this love, the Japanese officer reflects on the militaristic values instilled in him from a young age, while the female go player gains a deeper understanding of the plight of women under her own culture. As the love between the two main characters matures, their thoughts evolve, yet ambitions for conquest, oppression, and national hatred spread like a life-and-death game of go, surrounding their romance from all sides. Go is not only a crucial thread in the book but also its writing style. Critics have noted that the book holds profound historical and artistic value, with its narrative as captivating as a go drama.