介绍:
Father, is the man who guides and inspires us to become secure adults, the rock-like figure we always go to with every problem, and the strong arms that hug us whenever we fall.
But one day, when his life ebbs away, when he is no longer the hero sheltering us from the storm, what should we do and how will we evaluate our relationship with our fathers?
So for today&`&s Bookshelf, Liu Min will introduce us to Taiwan writer Zhang Dachun&`&s book, As One Family, or in Chinese, "Ling Ting Fu Qin".
If time is a book, 1997 is no doubt a page of great importance: financial crisis hit many Asian countries; spacecraft Pathfinder landed on Mars; while the death of Princess Diana was mourned worldwide.
But for acclaimed Taiwanese writer Zhang dachun, 1997 was the year bathing in both great joy and profound sadness, as a fall paralyzed his father and Zhang himself was ready to embrace fatherhood.
Facing the elapse and continuity of life, Zhang put pen to paper. By talking with his moribund father, the author got closer to the man who gave him life. Meanwhile, he reflected the past of his family, a family experienced the dynamism of modern China and drifted from the mainland to Taiwan.
"In 1988, I first came to Beijing and then stayed in my hometown Shandong Province for a few days. At that time, my relatives were still alive. Since I spoke in Shandong dialect, they told me: &`&You don&`&t sound like a guest from a distant land. You sound like someone who hasn&`&t been home for a long time.&`& But for me, that emotion is something deposited by time. I wrote &`&As One Family&`& in 2003. I spent 15 years to understand my father&`&s nostalgia and reminiscence. "
Titled "Ling Ting Fu Qin", which literally means "listen to father" in Chinese, "As One Family" is neither an essay collection or novel. Rather, it is a family tale, told from a bedridden man to his son and then rephrased to the unborn grandchild. From Zhang&`&s great-great-grandfather, an unsophisticated intellectual dream about elevating his family into the rank of gentry, to his grandmother who gave birth under the bombs of Japanese troops, the book traces back a family history of five generations and plays up a piece of music full of sharps and flats.
Compared with other Chinese writers, such as Ba Jin and Lao She, who are well-known for their descriptions of family chronicles, Zhang Dachun gives a full account of his family in a more unadorned and less judgmental tone. Written in a restrained yet perceptual manner, the award-winning author babbles about the anecdotes of his forefathers and documents their fortunes and misfortunes with tenderness, affection and respect.
Though readers may question the authenticity of those stories, writer Qiu Wei gives out her opinion.
"&`&As One Family&`& gives you a strong immersive experience. When Zhang describes his forefathers, those details seem to bring you back to his hometown in Shandong and make you feel like standing next to those people. I believe that demonstrates Zhang&`&s potential as a great writer. When I read the book, I was also wondering how Zhang Dachun could know what his uncle said at that moment! But I am not challenging or criticizing him. Actually, I think creativity and imagination are exactly the reasons that make the book stand out. "
But in the eyes of book critic Su Xiaohe, "As One Family" is not just a memoir dedicated to one&`&s father, but to showcase something more profound.
"Dachun is good at presenting a grand, powerful theme by telling an incident or a family history. With chapters such as &`&where do I come from&`&, &`&where do I go&`& and &`&who am I&`&, Zhang raises some everlasting questions of the human race. With a humble, subtle foothold, Zhang Dachun reaches for something far-reaching and tries to showcase a sense of destiny, which is why his works always earn a wide appreciation. "
Once published, "As One Family" has received much acclaim and commended by Chinese Nobel laureate Mo Yan for its "concise language" and "modernity".
However, facing the overwhelming praise, the author appears to be indifferent and even, a little bit unsatisfied.
"A writer always feels powerless. Because regardless if the book sells well or not, compared with real life, the words we create are too insignificant, feeble and brittle. They are merely fragile fragments. "
The sequel of "As One Family" is named "Know a Few Words", which is dedicated to Zhang&`&s children.
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