Logic and Revolution: Wang Xiaobo’s “The Golden Age”
by Andrew Felsher
“Wang’s understated wit and distinctive tone is undeniable, conjuring up connections to Kafka’s logic-riddled restraint, Camus’s detachment, and Lu Xun’s dark humor.”
Andrew Felsher is a writer based in New York City. His fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared in São Paulo Review, Ligeia Magazine, Action, Spectacle, and other publications. He’s the Editor of 128 Lit.
“Wang’s understated wit and distinctive tone is undeniable, conjuring up connections to Kafka’s logic-riddled restraint, Camus’s detachment, and Lu Xun’s dark humor.”
Countless writers aspire to contribute something lasting to literature. We labor over drafts. We seek innovative forms. We push ourselves to evoke particularities in tone, plot, character, circumstance, and word choice. Yet in these various pursuits, we might overlook what also endures: literary references.
“Whether a novel is set in motion by a strange event, has an incredulous premise, or is riddled with bizarre scenes and interactions, they all demand a compelling response that aligns with the physics of the fictive world.” Andrew Felsher on how strangeness in fiction can illuminate and reveal.
