青铜时代 The Bronze Age

This book comprises the most representative novels (IMO, imaginative, poetic and dark humor) by Wang Xiaobo, one of the most influential modern writers in China. He entered Renmin University of China in his 30s, which was not unusual due to the educational disruptions caused by the Cultural Revolution. He later earned a Master’s degree in East Asian Studies from the University of Pittsburgh (with his wife Li Yinhe pursuing her Ph.D. in Sociology at the same university).

Despite being an exceptionally talented novelist, Wang was also a programmer who built his own text editor. He taught sociology at Peking University and later accounting at Renmin University before eventually choosing to become a full-time writer. He only became widely known after he died of a heart attack at 45.

青铜时代》是“时代三部曲”之三。这是以中国古代唐朝为背景的三部作品构成的长篇。这组作品的主人公，是古代的知识分子和传奇人物。他们作为一群追求个性、热爱自由、想按自己的价值观念精神信条生活的人，充满了强烈的创造欲望和人道需求，但被当时的权力斗争控制和扭曲了心态与行状、竟将智慧和爱情演变为滑稽闹剧。作者在这部长篇中，借助才子佳人、夜半私奔、千里寻情、开创伟业等风华绝代的唐朝秘传故事，将今伯爱情与唐人传奇相拼贴，使唐人传奇现代化，在其中贯注现代情趣，并通过对似水流年的追述，让历史艺术相融合，最终确立了对生命终极价值的体认，引出了一种由叙事者随心所欲地穿行于古今中外的对话体叙述方式。