Novel
長河
Not translated into English
Shen Congwen · 1945
Synopsis
At Lüjiaping, a small port on the Chen River, an old boatman keeps the Teng temple on Maple Hill. It is autumn, and Teng Changshun's orange grove, on the other bank, is heavy with fruit. The old man hears travellers talk of the “new life” that is coming and fears it will change everything, down to the fate of Yaoyao, Teng's youngest daughter, a lively and mocking girl. Soon the head of the local militia comes to “negotiate” the purchase of the oranges.
Context
Shen Congwen wrote this novel during the war, passing through Yuanling when he left Hunan for Yunnan, according to the Chinese Writers Association. Planned in several volumes, it remained unfinished: the first appeared in book form in Kunming in 1945 according to the same source, and in the Kaiming series in 1948. The narrative shows the unease that official campaigns arouse among the people living along the river, and the covetousness of those who hold the local armed force. Some regard it as the best of his long narratives; no French or English translation has been found.
Who it is for
First volume of a novel left unfinished, of slow rhythm; it must be read in the original for lack of a translation.
Prizes and reception
Nominated for the Nobel in 1980 and 1983, a finalist in 1988, Shen Congwen died before the jury's decision.
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