Written by Zhang Shiwen
Mr. Zhang Shiwen
To be honest, I am not qualified to talk here about this grand tome, with its exquisite narrative, profound thoughts, rich language, and rigorous structure. With my loneliness and limited knowledge, I can only bow down to the chief.
Let me start by quoting what you have to say about the manuscript. Wang Shoude, former director of the Literature and Art Bureau of the Propaganda Department of the General Political Department, said: The fact that Etouling has been able to reach a level that ordinary novelists cannot reach in terms of writing has benefited from the large accumulation and reserves obtained from decades of life. For example, in the evolution of history, the mystery of officialdom, the ravines of people's hearts, the language of characters, etc., all of these are rushing like rivers in the process of its brewing, forming strong impulses and passions, and like fermented old wine, it is urgent to exude the strong fragrance of the years through words. What is reflected in the writing of the work is a unique story that reaches the hearts of people, an insightful insight that inspires people's minds, and a brilliant literary style that makes people speak.
Yin Shi, the former deputy editor-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army of Literature and Art, commented: With a rare realistic skill, Etouling highlights the development process of the People's Liberation Army from the 60s of the 20th century to the beginning of this century, and shapes the images of a group of characters who have devoted themselves to it. As far as literary memory is concerned, this work's summary of social and historical content is complete and accurate, and the exploration and scanning of the darkness of human nature are profound and clear. Only when the writer's life accumulation and artistic literacy are very rich and complement each other, will the works gushing out have such an impact.
I very much agree with the assessment of the two experts, they stand tall, see accurately, and grasp the crux of the problem at once.
I remember that Lu Yao has an article called "Morning Starts at Noon", which means that since he wrote "Ordinary World" with more than one million words, Lu Yao's morning began at noon, because he worked hard every night to write, often staying up all night, most of the time he fell asleep when it was almost dawn, and only got up at noon to eat. To paraphrase the title of Lu Yao's book, the chief "Creation Begins with Retirement". Of course, the retired chief also wrote and published a lot of articles, but because of his high position, he was subject to many restrictions and could not write what he wanted to write as he wanted. As the saying goes, people can't help themselves in the rivers and lakes. When he was in power, he could only "climb along the pole" and write "official articles", and he could not have his own "ideas", otherwise he would not be on par with each other, and he would "wear small shoes".
On the left is Mr. Zhang Shiwen
After retiring, the chief did not indulge in the joy of mountains and rivers, plunged headlong into the deep sea of literature, relying on the "one-finger Zen" kung fu, tapping on his mobile phone, and advancing at the speed of a rapid march every day, rain or shine. In just a few months, the first draft of 600,000 words of "Goose Head Ridge" was completed. In addition, several novels such as "The Sky and the Sky" and "Danshi Soul" have come out one after another.
No one can believe that such an achievement was accomplished by a literary old man. 600,000 words is a struggle for a young person who can type, let alone an old man who is over the age of ten and can't use a computer. It is impossible to do without a devotion to literature, without a sense of social mission and responsibility.
Completing the first draft is only the first step in the long march, and more tedious work is yet to come. The chief has been as good as a stream, extensively listened to the opinions and suggestions of all parties, and constantly added, deleted and polished, so far the draft has changed nine times, and compared with the first draft, it has been "unrecognizable". This kind of high-quality consciousness is worth learning from those who are backward people such as us. Mr. Lu Xun taught us: "Articles are not written, but changed. "Brewing is like conceiving a baby in October, and taking off the manuscript is like giving birth in one day. For the author, the work is his own heart, he cherishes himself, and he is reluctant to delete a word, but the chief is very "ruthless", and dares to "cut the robe and cut the meaning" of his own words.
In this novel, more than 30 characters with unique personalities, different experiences, and different occupations are created. The chief depicts Wu Bingzhi's growth experience in thick ink and color, and strives to magnify and restore Wu Bingzhi's life path, so that everyone can clearly understand Wu Bingzhi's transformation trajectory from a hero model to the end of his life, from the correct three views to corruption and degeneration. Wu Bingzhi was a person with pure thinking and the pursuit of progress, and he stepped forward at critical moments many times and became a hero of the times. Later, under the influence of the general environment, the three views were distorted, the original intention was forgotten, the road went astray, and the fork was diverged, until finally he committed a crime. For the main character Wu Bingzhi, the chief did not simply face paint and pattern treatment, but explored the subtleties from the depths of human nature and analyzed the social environment.
When I first started reading this manuscript, I had a different opinion, thinking that the main characters should not be negative characters, let alone such people should not be allowed to become generals. We can make the supporting characters a little worse, and the protagonist must always maintain positive energy.
It turned out that I was superficial. Society is not as simple as one plus one equals two. The chief has been in a high position for a long time and has rich experience, not only in the Kunlun Mountains, but also in Bashan Shushui. He not only made suggestions in the central organs of the headquarters, but also commanded thousands of troops and horses in the southwest theater. It can be said that we have read countless people, have a lot of experience, have seen many inside stories that we have not seen, and have more grasp and see more clearly than we can about all aspects of the troops.
The arrangement of Wu Bingzhi to become a general is based on deep-seated considerations, which shows the severity of the anti-corruption campaign, the complexity of society, and the fact that there are still many two-faced people in society and in the army. On the surface, they are also King Wu Zheng, expressing their attitude as more revolutionary than anyone else, and their loyalty is more pious than anyone else, but as soon as they are in the dark, where there is no sunlight, they are completely exposed. Good things are said, bad things are done. Judging from the anti-corruption report card in recent years, there are both members of the Politburo Standing Committee and vice chairmen of the Military Commission, who control our country and fool the people. As every person with a sense of justice, we must dare to take the lead in this kind of behavior, peel off their painted skin, remove their disguises, and expose their ugly faces.
Literature is a reflection of social reality, and the chief dares to face some social problems and some sensitive issues directly, and uses an almost cruel, naked, and responsible attitude to scrape the bones and dissect them, criticize them like exposing them. Despite the risks, ignore them. Ai Qing said, "Why do I have tears in my eyes, because I love this land deeply". I believe that when these scars and sores are uncovered, the chief's heart must be struggling, painful, and even torn, and he will also ask questions like Qu Yuan. However, the chief finally convinced himself that the social responsibility of literature, the whipping and torture of the soul, and the noble mission of party members allowed the chief to defeat himself. He stood in a more open and distant sky, pierced the "abscesses" like peach blossoms, raised his arms and shouted loudly under the appearance of singing and dancing. These words are undoubtedly the words of the world in the real society, the words of warning and loyalty, and the words of the awakening world. Indeed, literature should not only sing praises, but also criticize and expose, and literary criticism is also a powerful force for promoting social progress.
This manuscript can be said to be an encyclopedia, and people with different hobbies and interests can find what they want in the book. We can say that he is literature, because the characters, events, and places are all fictional, but you feel that these things, these people are all around and within reach. It can also be said that he is a historian, because since he began to write after the founding of the People's Republic of China, he has described all the major events and important events that the people's army has experienced. It can also be said to be philosophy, environmental studies, and cultural relics. The manuscript has an in-depth dabbling in philosophy, and a detailed description of the geographical environment, after reading it, you can think that he is Kunlun Mountain, Qinling, Emei Mountain, and our old barracks. In the book, especially the research on cultural relics such as goose head jade gui and mud gold heart sutra, has reached a professional level. In addition, he also dabbles in medicine, psychology, law, dance, etc. The richness of the language is also a major feature of this manuscript, and the book often inadvertently pops up with amazing golden sentences, which make people involuntarily blurt out: What a energy!
Seminar venue
I have often been amazed at how the chief has such a wealth of knowledge? A few days ago, I saw an article written by Li Bangxiang in President Nan's circle of friends, and finally solved this mystery. In the sunny early spring, they accompanied the chief to the Garden Lake in Tianfu New Area to go out to enjoy the spring, which is tantamount to the Lanting set in the new era, on the sightseeing bus, the chief asked the tour guide: How big is the lake, how deep, what is raised in the lake, how can the water quality be guaranteed, how many kilometers do you turn around, what kind of flower is this? The young female tour guide was sweating and hesitant to ask. Everywhere is knowledge, and the knowledge of the chief is also asked for a long time, walked out, and read, which is also the best interpretation of shameless questions.
Only by seeing more can we be knowledgeable, and only by accumulating can we be thin.
The old man likes to make an ode to dusk, and his eyes are full of green mountains and sunset lighting.
Finally, I wish the chief a happy birthday, health and longevity, and write more and more wonderful works.
Thank you!