IndieWeb Book Club: To Live
Read the post in Simplified Chinese.
This post is a part of IndieWeb Book Club May.
Welcome to IndieWeb Book Club May session! This month I invite you to read To Live (《活着》) by Chinese writer Yu Hua (余华, in which Yu is the family name).
This is NOT a gentle story. But I think that tragedy reveals something we all share, no matter where we come from. It reminds us of the preciousness of the humanity and the courage in the face of life.
I, a folklorist, walked amid the fields and cottages. In the blistering sun, I met Fugui (福贵, lit. Bliss and Noble), an old man who calling his ox by different names, as if he were speaking to many people who weren’t there. When I asked him why, an unexpectedly long story was revealed.
A story that shows how a life endures impermanence amid the historical upheavals.
Resources
Introduction on Goodreads.
You can find this book in your local library. Search in WorldCat for detailed information.
Free e-book copies are available on Internet Archive, Open Library and Z-library.
How to submit
If you have written a post on reading the book, please feel free to comment below or email me. My contact info is in the About page. Please note the title of your post, a link to your post and your name for the roundup.
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About the writer
Yu Hua, born in 1960, is one of the most important modern writers in China. His life was heavily influenced by the changes that China has gone through. He spent his whole childhood and teenage years during the Maoist China, which refers to that his writing is heavily influenced and inspired by the Cultural Revolution.
Some of his most famous novels are To Live (《活着》, 1993), Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (《许三观卖血记》, lit. Chronicle of Xu Sanguan selling his blood, 1995) and Brothers (《兄弟》, 2005–06), etc. These works depict ordinary people’s life in the historical upheavals, reflecting how China’s society changes tremendously and faces of all beings in the inevitable progress of the history.
For English speakers
In case the cultural differences result in confusions, I provide essential info below.
History Background
The novel spans the period from when R.O.C. was still in control of mainland China to the Cultural Revolution. Here’s the rough timeline:
- nationwide civil war (1946–1949), KMT retreated to Taiwan as a result
- Land Reform Movement
- Great Leap Forward, and Great Famine as a result
- Cultural Revolution
It portrays a period of profound social and political turmoil in society and politics. Mao’s totalitarian rule has a far-reaching impact on Chinese ideology. While you are reading, please notice the societal description, which is different and unfamiliar to Westerners. When essential, you may find it helpful to look things up.
Names
Chinese names often indicate certain meanings. Transliteration loses these meanings.
Fugui: 福贵, Bliss and Noble
Jiazhen: 家珍, Family’s Precious
Fengxia: 凤霞, Phoenix and Glow (which appears at dawn or dusk)
Youqing: 有庆, Have the Luck
Erxi: 二喜, Two Delight or Delight the Second. In the old days, Chinese traditionally, especially peasants, use numbers in names to represent the order in the family.
Kugen: 苦根, Bitter Root or Root of the Bitterness/Hardship. In the old days, Chinese sometimes name their kids with humble, derogatory words to ensure children’s safety.
Long Er: 龙二, Dragon/Loong the Second.
Chunsheng: 春生, Born in Spring.