Wang Shuo

Wang is widely considered to be one of China's most popular and easily recognizable authors, and has been applauded by literary critics. Wang's works have often been best-sellers. His novels tell the story of tough working class life in Beijing. In his writing style, Wang has focused on the "living language" which is spoken by ordinary people in the street. He has also used a lot of the Beijing dialect, which makes his works very vivid and attractive. The New York Times Book Review contributor Sheryl WuDunn compares Wang to Western literary figures such as Joseph Heller, and Kurt Vonnegut, described Wang as "China's Kerouac". Chinese author Dai Qing has been quoted as describing Wang as "one of the finest contemporary writers, someone who can use wit and language to betray several decades of ideology that have been forced upon us, but the Government doesn't fear him because while he destroys, he doesn't create or build. And he is willing to compromise with the Government". Historian Christopher Rea writes that Wang's devil-may-care persona and advocacy of wan'r (playing, messing around) echoes the playful, and at times cynical, tone of some early twentieth-century Chinese literature. Wang is described by some traditional Chinese critics as a "spiritual pollutant" for his hooligan style of writing. His work describes the culturally confused generation after the Cultural Revolution, marked by rebellious behavior. During the 1990s Wang was the most popular and famous writer in China. Despite his hooligan style, his collected works were never banned and only one film based on his novels was not allowed to be shown in China until 2004, not because of his political stance, but rather due to his style. Wang is a national bestseller in China and has influenced generations of Chinese readers. With over 20 novels and 10 million copies in print, Wang's influence ranges from students to workers, and from drifters to intellectuals. His works mark the beginning of a new writing style in China, influencing many new authors. His satire is less of a direct confrontation with the Communist autocracy than it is a mockery of their lack of cool and a statement of utter indifference to any political or nationalistic correctness. Many of Wang's works have been officially banned within the People's Republic of China. Chinese authorities have labelled Wang's works as being "vulgar" and "reactionary", culminating in a four-volume collection being officially censored, and removed two TV series which he wrote.