After writing for more than thirty years, the writer Wang Yuewen launched "Shouting Mountain Response", which tells about his hometown and "reviews" his own literature and life.
Shouting Mountain Ying, Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House, September 2021 edition
Wang Yuewen was born in Pupu, Hunan Province, and after graduating from university, he was assigned to the office of the county government of laojia, and then transferred to the Huaihua Municipal Government and the Hunan Provincial Government, where he served as a civil servant for more than ten years. In 1999, his novel "Chinese Painting" was published, which created a representative and very distinctive character image of Zhu Huaijing. In 2013, the long historical novel "The Great Qing Xiangguo" was launched, and Wang Yuewen created a minister Chen Tingjing, who was rated by Kangxi as "a perfect person". In addition, he also has novels such as "Mei Ci Story" and "Cang Huang", as well as essays, essays and other works, but because the themes are mostly official, Wang Yuewen has been labeled as a writer of "official novels". Wang Yuewen was very disgusted by such a simple and crude classification, "I just happen to live in a specific field at a certain age in my life, and I am familiar with the people who live in this field." Through the writing of this theme, Wang Yuewen's pen still wants to describe the human feelings and the world.
And Wang Yuewen's essays, very similar to his Hunan personality, have Lu Xun's legacy, boldly and truly reflect his heart, and pinpoint the shortcomings of the times. For example, in the new book "Shouting Mountain Ying", he mentioned that "some stories happened" after the publication of "Chinese Painting", and even when he participated in a literary award, he also introduced some tidbits, and was interviewed by the leader to ask him to withdraw from the award.
Why "review" your own literature and life? Why do you dislike the label of "official novel"? How does he see literature and reality? Recently, The Paper interviewed writer Wang Yuewen.
Wang Yuewen
The Paper: The subtitle of the new book "Shouting Mountain Response" is: Review of Literature and Life, Why Use the Word "Review"? Looking back on my own creations, do you have any regrets about the text?
Wang Yuewen: The word "review" has many meanings, and I use its meaning of summarizing analysis and research. Over the years, people have narrowly understood the meaning of the word. Of course, in this book, I also have reflections on my own literature and life. Although I have no intention of "regretting his lack of work", compared with that year, my current world outlook and literary outlook have evolved and progressed. How does the novel truly gain insight into the truth of life and the world in fiction? How to stand on reality and penetrate and transcend the limitations of reality? How to convey strength and comfort in the cold presentation? Including the narrative technique of the novel, the language, etc., I tried to do some rethinking. But this book is still relatively hasty, and the thinking is still shallow. In this sense, my "review" here is what people usually understand.
The Paper: After writing for more than thirty years, why did you start to trace your literary origins at this time?
Wang Yuewen: This book was written for special circumstances, but it is also very necessary to write. I really should have "reviewed" myself. I go deep into the years, still feel confused about many people and things, life is constantly moving forward and changing, the answers that were once there are now new questions, and people are always asking questions. I hope that I will not say that I will regret it in the future, and I will not write words that I will regret in the future. Every time I think of Bai Juyi's two poems of "drinking and pecking at the chicken flock, the year is deep and losing the standard", I will "review" and remind myself.
The Paper: Are there any reasons why you are very opposed to and disgusted by the label of "official novel" other than that it obscures your other non-official fiction creations?
Wang Yuewen: Any literature that is typed and described is not good literature. All my novels are based on an understanding and insight into human nature, and I just happen to live in a certain field at a certain age in my life, and I am familiar with the people who live in this field, and through their descriptions, I try to reflect the vast and complex world associated with them, presenting the characteristics of a certain period of history. I have good intentions for my characters, whether they are bright or gray, and I want to find out the source of them and reveal the truth of life. If I write the characters of a certain field extremely vividly and vividly, it can only mean that I have written very successfully, very realistically, and even "real to the point of illusion". It should be said that my writing has enriched the literary character gallery to some extent, and the starting point of all my novels is to be good and beautiful.
The Paper: Is Chen Tingjing in "The Great Qing Xiangguo" the ideal way of being an official? And this ideal, it seems that the most difficult thing is to retreat from the whole body?
Wang Yuewen: In the novel "The Great Qing Dynasty", I deliberately express a certain sense of sublimity in intellectuals, and I try to interpret the feelings of home and country and the sentiment of self-cultivation and morality that continue to be in the ancient Chinese scholars through Chen Tingjing's shaping. The persistence of intellectuals, their ambitions and dedication to their homeland, are of special significance at present. Chen Tingjing is an ancient person more than three hundred years ago, and as a former sage, he deserves to be studied by future generations. However, if the Chinese more than three hundred years later are still simply learning from their predecessors, this is certainly not in line with the progress of the times. Chen Tingjing exists as a historical and cultural resource, and he has many noble qualities and wisdom that future generations should absorb well. No matter how the times evolve, many fundamental values will not change.
"The Great Qing Dynasty"
The Paper: Your literary enlightenment is foreign literature, especially Chekhov, who once said: The more excellent writers are realistic, and their works are written about the existing life, but in addition, they can also make the reader feel the life they deserve.
Wang Yuewen: I can't say that my literary enlightenment is foreign literature, I know that you saw this from internet searches. A lot of the introduction of a website about me is bull's head is not right, I once modified and sent it myself, and the reply received was "your information source is unreliable". Let's not talk about it. But Chekhov agreed with that. His so-called "existing life" should refer to the writer's realistic description of reality, inevitably with darkness and suffering; and his so-called "life as it should be" should refer to the idealistic light displayed by the writer in his work. Good realist writers give hope to humanity.
The Paper: You rarely talk about the works of contemporary Chinese writers, why?
Wang Yuewen: Many of my contemporary Chinese counterparts are very good, they have a lot of excellent works, I have read a lot, some are very admirable. Some writers are my good friends, encouraging and warming each other in life and career. Writers have their own faces, each has its own strengths, and all contribute to contemporary literature. As for how to evaluate, leave it to critics and literary history.
The Paper: Many critics say that you have the style of a Xiangchu "madman", you also analyzed your own personality in the book, very Hunan, and really dare to talk about it, such as mentioning "Chinese Painting" to participate in a certain literary award, etc. When you write, do you worry about causing some people to be displeased after the article is published?
Wang Yuewen: I just want to present the world truthfully and honestly, broaden the field of literary expression, deepen the insight and excavation of human nature in literature, I want to use literature to give at least a certain part of life to cover up the good, whether this purpose has been achieved, or whether it has been partially achieved, can only be spoken by the work, by the reader. My original intention is honesty and kindness, which is the conscience that a writer should have. There is a profession in my hometown called "Singing Cash Cows". Every Spring Festival, the person who sings the cash cow holds a branch tied with a red note in his hand and runs to the door of someone else's house to sing: "The cash cow tree comes to your home, the rich and the rich are glorious, and the people also send it to any family, and raise a son to Qinghua!" As for whether to sing "Shang qinghua" or sing other lyrics, it only depends on what the owner likes to hear. New Year's Tujili, singing the cash cow is appropriate. Literature is a solemn matter, and it is impossible for the world to celebrate the New Year every day. Writers write only to please people, so it is better to go to my hometown and sing cash cows.
The Paper: When you read your article, you think of Lu Xun, and then you mentioned that your writing was influenced by Lu Xun. What do you think is the significance of reading Lu Xun's essays or writing lu Xun's essays today?
Wang Yuewen: I have great admiration for Lu Xun, but I can't look back on him for the rest of my life. Although it cannot be reached, the heart yearns for it. Mr. Lu Xun has great love and hatred and great feelings, profound thoughts and great personality. Mr. Lu Xun will shine with the sun and the moon, and no light or thin person can shake his historical position. The more I read Lu Xun, the more sober I became, and the more I read Lu Xun, the tougher and softer my heart became. I felt more and more deeply the great pain of Lu Xun's great love for the history and reality of our nation under his coldness. Great pain is due to great love. Mr. Lu Xun's feelings are indispensable in any era. If the literature of an era does not observe, reflect, and illuminate the spiritual outlook of the entire nation, it will certainly be a failure of this era.
Chinese Painting
The Paper: When it comes to literary awards, "Chinese Painting" and "Great Qing Xiangguo" have not won important literary awards, do you have some regrets? What is your attitude towards winning awards for your work now?
Wang Yuewen: Literary awards are a good thing, they can encourage and praise good writers and good works, and to some extent, they also set a literary benchmark for readers. But it's also less absolute, and literary prizes aren't the only criteria for evaluating literature, it's common sense that doesn't need to be discussed. Whispering, I've also won a little award, and I'm very happy. In literature, my attitude is: just cultivate and strive to be worthy of readers.
The Paper: In the book, you mention that in the face of reality, the power of literature is limited, but once, for example, in the 1980s, the power of literature on reality was still very strong, do you think, why is the power of literature on reality now weakened?
Wang Yuewen: Literature has never had as much influence on reality as people describe it, even if it is what you call the 1980s. It's just that at that time, the society was single, and it was easy to form a focus. That's all. However, the power of literature cannot be underestimated, its influence on people is long-lasting and far-reaching, and it shapes the spiritual outlook of a nation. For a country and a people, literature is a matter of eternity. Literature is not weaker now, it has always been. Literature is the fire of civilization, which will never be extinguished, but it is also difficult to have the potential to burn the plains. The phenomenon of a square ringing and a crowd of responders is not the norm in literature.
The Paper: The Hunan dialect "does not understand taste" means not to know the current affairs, you wrote "I do not understand taste", contempt for vulgar pragmatism philosophy. However, I personally feel that as a writer, when observing the world and experiencing life, you often need to "know the current affairs" to shape the characters, how do you grasp and distinguish between not understanding the taste and knowing the current affairs?
Wang Yuewen: The two meanings of "knowing the current affairs" in your question are not the same, you are talking about two concepts. The previous "knowledge of current affairs" refers to sophistication and sleekness. This is what I oppose and dislike. The latter "knowledge of current affairs" refers to understanding the physics of human feelings, that is, the so-called "everything is knowledgeable, and the cultivation of human feelings is an article." This is the basic skill that a novelist should do.
The Paper: Are there any new novel writing plans? Has the current epidemic that is sweeping the world and has a lot of impact on people's lives given you the inspiration and impulse to create?
Wang Yuewen: I am writing a new long story, and I am not in a position to elaborate. In the more than two years of the epidemic, I have seen the fragility and pain of life, and I have also seen a lot of courage and light. I myself wrote a poem at the beginning of the epidemic, with my soul reflecting and praising the anti-epidemic fighters. Hopefully, the epidemic will pass sooner and people's lives will return to normal. Bless our country, bless our world.