Shiny eggplant

Author: Song Yuojian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: This book depicts the objective circumstances and inner thoughts of a nineteen-year-old high school dropout at the turn of the century, exhibiting clear stream-of-consciousness characteristics. It is not bound by space or time, allowing the plot to flow freely with the young protagonist's consciousness, alternating between reality and imagination for the readers. The language is vivid, the plot is cleverly constructed, and the ending is both poignant and unexpected. What is even more valuable is that the author does not simply narrate a story but raises some thought-provoking questions through the protagonist's voice, hoping to draw the readers' attention and reflection. Perhaps, this is the unique aspect of the book. Erqiangzi is an ordinary yet special boy. Nineteen years ago, he was born prematurely in a public toilet in a market corner in Beijing, and later grew up in a dim and lowly room in a hutong. As a child, he spent his days riding a flatbed cart with his mother to set up stalls in the market, weathering wind and rain, month after month, year after year. His memory is filled with baskets of vegetables, and his mind is often filled with images of shiny black eggplants. One day, after three years of drifting at home following his middle school exam failure, he goes to an auto repair shop to learn a trade. On the way, he meets a female college student named Yanzi on a bus, and the story unfolds from there.