White Dog&The Swing

by Mo Yan

Mo Yan is a poet, who tears up the stylized propaganda poster and can make a common character acquainted by readers. By using ridicule and satire, Mo Yan not only attacks the history and its lies, but also lashes social poverty and political hypocrisy. With a sarcastic tone, He reveals all the darkest sides of human life and supplies readers with the most representative symbols on purpose or not. Mo Yan's imagination goes beyond all the human...... He shows us a world without truth, common sense and sympathy, where people can be audacious, alone and helpless, ridiculous.

Genres: Short Stories

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Modern Chinese author, in the western world most known for his novel Red Sorghum (which was turned into a movie by the same title). Often described as the Chinese Franz Kafka or Joseph Heller.

Mo Yan (莫言) is a pen name and means don't speak. His real name is Guan Moye (simplified Chinese: 管谟业; traditional Chinese: 管謨業; pinyin: Guǎn Móyè).

He has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2012 for his work which "with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary". Among the works highlighted by the Nobel judges were Red Sorghum (1987) and Big Breasts & Wide Hips (2004), as well as The Garlic Ballads.

Chinese version: 莫言

Reviews

[Shuonan · Rating 4 out of 5]

看完了莫言的小说《白狗秋千架》了，只觉得故事中的女主人公的冷暖人生让我想起来还会微微一颤。女主人公叫“暖”，多好的一个名字啊！暖，是人生太多的无奈，太多的冷意，有太阳照耀着的爱-----暖！ 
人生没有如果，如果小武生带暖离开这总也望不到头的山村；如果井河坚守着自己的承诺；如果暖没有摔断自己的右腿。那么，一切将是多么美好，人生也必然会是另一番景象。 暖是全村最美的女孩儿，几乎所有的男人都想暖做自己的新娘。包括井河，自然也包括那从小就爱欺负她的哑巴。暖喜欢唱戏，在省城来的表演活动中结识了小武生，她对小武生的痴迷就像井河对她一样。可到底也没有人能明白，那是不是真爱，只知道小武生能帮暖成为城里人。结果呢？暖的梦碎了，小武生走了，只剩下一面镜子，照出了暖的美丽，却照不出她内心的苦楚。如果那时的天是黑黑的，那么井河的关爱就是黑暗中的一点光明，即便是意外的发生令暖不再像以前那么自信，也不能阻止她毅然地丢掉了小武生送的镜子，享受着井河给予的种种。 
然而，井河的离开却给了暖矛盾的心境。在漫长的等待中暖放弃了希望，将那些不知真伪的甜言蜜语撕得粉碎。于是，天阴了，下雨了。不知道雨是什么时候停止的，只知道那时的哑巴是暖人生中的一丝晴空。于是，她丢掉了那双皮鞋，至少那时她毅然丢掉了，只是哑巴明白，这一次暖不能真的忘却。十年后的重归故里对井河而言是一种真正的忘却，“不回来就不能真的忘却”，暖说出了井河多年想说而不敢说的，而对暖来说，那一切的一切都失去了意义，生活不会再翻起丝毫涟漪。如果你看到暖还会缕缕发髻，整整衣装，那些都只是对往事的尊重，因为人生没如果，生命不堪回首。

[Moushine Zahr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 5th novel or more I've read from Chinese author Mo Yan and literature Nobel Prize winner. I gave this one only a 3 stars because I am getting tired of reading his books. I have the feeling that if you've read one of his novels is like reading all of them. There is no change in writing style from one book to the next one and the stories tend to be similar. There is none of his novels that stands out from the rest.

I have to read novels from other Chinese authors to regain interest. Any suggestions?

[Miriam Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite story was La femme de Commandant. The others were educational and somewhat perplexing. I frowned at this book a lot. It's greatest quality, in my opinion, is Mo Yan's attention to and obvious love of animals.

[Marilyne Vallières · Rating 3 out of 5]

Les récits sont un croisement entre nouvelles et contes. Certains sont bien faits, d’autres font beaucoup de détours et on perd un peu le fil de l’histoire.

[HTW · Rating 4 out of 5]

已看過： 白狗秋千架