A guide to Shanghai's street life
By Zhang Kun (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-05 09:53
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Wang Xiaoying's latest novel, Song of a Long Street, follows the lives of residents in a winding street in downtown Shanghai. Writers and critics have hailed the book for its vivid portrayal of the city's people.
"Shanghai authors haven't written about the city's rapid changes over the past decades. Wang's work has largely filled in the blanks by looking at the lives of people at the bottom of the social ladder," said writer Sun Yong, at last year's discussion panel on the book, held at the China Writers' Association.
This is the sixth novel from Wang, who says it is difficult to write about the city.
"Talking about novels of Shanghai, people's impressions are overshadowed by the writing of Eileen Chang. But the real Shanghai is much richer, with different layers of reality," she says.
She adds that Wang Anyi, who produces a novel every few years, is currently the most acclaimed Shanghai writer, while Cheng Naishan, who used to write good novels about Shanghai, is now content to pen anecdotes from the old days.
In order to present the essence of the city's culture, Wang uses colloquial Shanghai dialect and expressions.
"But I don't want people to call me a 'dialect writer' because I'm not like that," Wang says. "I only use Shanghai dialect in the most appropriate places, on the premise that it won't prevent non-Shanghainese from understanding the text."
Wang says she thinks of herself as an ordinary housewife who enjoys her family life, living in the hustle and bustle of the western-end of Huaihai Zhong Lu.
"You chat with old grannies who bring out bed covers to the public green to air, and get on well with your housework helper who has worked in the community for decades. I have presented the true texture and feeling of life in Shanghai because I have lived the life, with all its trivial details, every day," she says.
"Her authentic use of Shanghai dialect, together with vivid details - what dishes they cook, what flowers they arrange at home, the subtle tones a maid uses with her mistress - all this helps grasp the essence of Shanghai's back street culture," said Chen Jiangong, deputy chairman of the China Writers' Association.
The novel follows the life changes of a few women living on the street.
"These women will do everything they can to protect their family's welfare. Sometimes you think they are selfish, but in the face of crisis, their integrity and righteousness is revealed," Wang says.
"They make the best of their lives and make full use of every penny. For Shanghai women, it's not the amount of money, but how you use it that counts."