Wang Xiaobo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
王小波
Wang Xiaobo |
|
|---|---|
| Born | May 13, 1952 Beijing, China |
| Died | April 11, 1997 (aged 44) Beijing, China |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Alma mater | Renmin University (BS) University of Pittsburgh (MA) |
| Spouse |
Li Yinhe
(m. 1980) |
Wang Xiaobo (Chinese: 王小波; pinyin: Wáng Xiǎobō) was a famous Chinese writer. He wrote many novels and essays. He was born in Beijing, China, on May 13, 1952, and passed away on April 11, 1997.
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Life Story of Wang Xiaobo
Wang Xiaobo was born into a family of smart people in Beijing. When he was a teenager, from 1968 to 1970, he lived and worked on a farm in Yunnan. This was part of a program for "educated youth" in China.
Later, he moved to Muping District in Shandong province and became a private teacher. He also worked in factories in Beijing. These experiences inspired some of his stories, like Love in Revolutionary Period.
In 1977, he met Li Yinhe, who worked as an editor for a newspaper. They fell in love and got married in 1980. That same year, Wang Xiaobo published his first book, Earth Forever.
He went to Renmin University of China in 1978 to study economics. After graduating in 1982, he became a teacher there. During this time, he started writing his famous novel, The Golden Age.
In 1984, Wang Xiaobo went to the University of Pittsburgh in the United States to study. He earned a master's degree there. While in the U.S., he traveled a lot and even visited Western Europe. He also started writing novels based on old Chinese legends from the Tang Dynasty.
Wang Xiaobo came back to China in 1988. He taught at Peking University and later at Renmin University again. In 1992, he decided to become a full-time writer.
His only movie script, East Palace West Palace, won an award in Argentina. It was also considered for an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997. Sadly, Wang Xiaobo passed away in Beijing on April 11, 1997, from a heart attack.
Wang Xiaobo's Writing Style
Wang Xiaobo was known for his unique way of telling stories, often using everyday language. He also wrote many essays, which were a great way for people to discover his work. Because he lived and studied in both China and the West, his writing showed a strong spirit of freedom and independent thinking.
His books often had a special kind of funny and dark humor, which showed his view on life. Many of his stories were inspired by his own experiences, like working on the farm or as an engineer. He used these real-life moments to create vivid pictures of reality in his books.
Wang Xiaobo admired the philosopher Bertrand Russell. He believed in science and thinking logically. He thought people should always try to learn new things and explore the unknown. He also felt that people should think freely and have many different ideas, which makes life more interesting. His writings were very popular with college students in the 1990s, and people still enjoy them today.
Why Wang Xiaobo Became So Popular
Before he passed away, Wang Xiaobo won awards for his short novels outside of mainland China. However, it was hard for him to get his books published in China. He even wrote that publishing his books was much harder than writing them!
When Wang Xiaobo died suddenly in 1997, something amazing happened. His books became incredibly popular. People started reading his works more than ever before, and many discussions about his writing began among both regular readers and thinkers. In the 21st century, he is one of the most-read Chinese writers from the 1990s. People still hold meetings and discussions to remember him and his works.
His essays, in particular, helped him become so well-known. Some people even compared his sudden popularity to a big wave of new ideas in China.
Even though Wang Xiaobo is still very popular, most literary critics focus more on his essays than his novels.
Wang Xiaobo once said, "One day we will all die, and there will be people walking on the path of pursuing wisdom. I can't see what happens after death. But when I was alive, I thought about it, and I thought about it in my heart. I'm very happy."
Other famous writers and thinkers have praised him. Wang Meng, a well-known Chinese writer, said that Wang Xiaobo was a very thoughtful person. Huang Ping, a professor, called his work "a masterpiece of a generation." The musician Gao Xiaosong sees him as "god-like," and the writer Feng Tang called him "a miracle."
Wang Xiaobo is seen as an inspiration for "minjian," which means "grassroots intellectuals." These are independent thinkers who became more common in China around the year 2000.
Wang Xiaobo's Books
Wang Xiaobo wrote several novels, collections of short stories, and essays. Some of his works have been translated into English, French, and Italian.
Novels
- 《红拂夜奔》 Running Away At Night
- 《万寿寺》 Wan Show Temple
- 《黄金时代》 Golden Age
- 《白银时代》 The Silver Age
- 《青铜时代》 The Bronze Age
- 《黑铁时代》 The Iron Age
- 《革命时期的爱情》 Love in the Time of Revolution
Plays
- 《东宫·西宫》
Short Stories and Essays
- 《沉默的大多数》 The Silent Majority
- 《思维的乐趣》 The Pleasure of Thought
- 《我的精神家园》 My Spiritual Homeland
- 《爱你就像爱生命》 Loving You Is Like Loving Life
- 《一只特立独行的猪》 A Maverick Pig
Movies Based on His Work
- 1997: East Palace, West Palace directed by Zhang Yuan. This movie was based on Wang Xiaobo's short story called 《似水柔情》 (English: Sentiments Like Water).
Wang Xiaobo's Thoughts on Writing
Some people said that Wang Xiaobo's books were interesting but didn't have a "positive message" or couldn't "inspire" readers enough. Wang Xiaobo responded to these comments:
He said that while being positive is good, it doesn't always need to be the main point of a story. He believed his job was to write stories that were as interesting as possible. He didn't think he should add lessons or sermons on purpose. He wrote for people who enjoyed reading novels, not to teach young people who needed more education.
