The publishing industry nowadays has become a “globalized” and gigantic industry. There are innumerable publications surfacing on the market every year, so when one of them stands out from the others, it will rapidly be translated into different languages, or even be made into a film or animation film.
We can say that the readers nowadays have many books to choose from and can easily enjoy a good read whenever and wherever they want. That being said, some books are like a bottle of good wine; it takes time for it to turn into an excellent wine. But whether or not one can find it at the right moment is purely luck, such as the case of Yu Zhao’s book, "Seven Lost Letters".
Yu Zhao is a prominent Chinese writer. His vigorous way of writing emerged in the 80’s as a new force to be reckoned with on the literary scene in China. His works are renowned in the “non-fiction” sector in Chinese literature. His most famous works are the "Sports Trilogy" reports on China: "Dream for a Stronger China", "Waterloo Defeat in Seoul" and "Investigation on Ma’s Army". The publication of these books met with great success, with millions of copies sold. Not only was the series a national success, it has had a profound impact on the literary development of New China’s reporting style.
It was in 2004, in a small antique shop in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, that Yu Zhao accidentally found seven mysterious letters written in around 1936 by the writer Ba Jin, addressed to a 17-year-old girl named Dai Li. Ba Jin (1904-2005), whose birth name was Li Yaotang, was from Chengdu, Sichuan. He is a celebrated Chinese novelist, essayist and translator. He was honored as the most influential writer since the May-Fourth Literary Movement in China.
He finished his first mid-length novel "Destruction" in 1927. In 1929, the work was published in "Fiction Monthly" and was widely acclaimed by readers. His most well known works were his "Torrent Trilogy" (Family, Spring, Autumn). And the seven letters he wrote for Dai Li were written during this period of his life.
Out of curiosity as a writer wanting to investigate Ba Jin’s creative process, Yu Zhao embarked on serious research into these seven letters. He even attempted to find out who this girl “Dai Li” was in the letters.
Even though "Seven Lost Letters" should be categorized as “journalistic reporting”, with the magical style of Yu Zhao’s writing, it leads the reader into a whirlpool of narrative power. The story of how Yu Zhao found these seven letters is filled with twists and turns, even involving a murder case inside an antique market in Xian. The book struck the readers just like a thriller.
On the other hand, the process of trying to explain these seven letters, looking for the addressee over half a century, provides a unique angle to analyze Ba Jin’s literature, with an untold and tortuous story of a woman born against the turbulent background of the New China.
The book is not only enjoyable to read, as if it were a suspense fiction, but it is also written in the cautious spirit of historical research. It is no surprise that Seven Lost Letters was met with a wave of critical acclaim as soon as it was published. The copyrights to the book have already been bought by a Chinese production company and the story will soon be turned into a film.
I believe this will certainly bring about another wave of popularity among readers toward this book. For English readers, China Translation & Publishing House translated this book in 2016. For anyone who is interested in the story, I highly recommend this book as a ride searching for the memory of a Chinese legendary story in the mists of History.
