Chapter 45 1988 "Wildfire Collection"

Genre: Fiction Author: Long Yingtai Original publication: Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House Published: November 1988 Introduction: Long Yingtai often gives ruthless perspective and direct criticism to a social phenomenon, a specific thing, or even a person, a sentence, or an event, which immediately makes people feel sympathetic.These things happen around, they can be seen and touched, they are so specific, real, and definite; while ordinary people seem to have no sense of the reasons, meanings, influences, and functions inside, once they are revealed, they suddenly become clear.

In addition to retaining the author's original "Wildfire" text, this reorganization has added the author's reflections on this article, or supplementary explanations of the background at that time, or observations on the practical significance of the article.In addition, 20 Chinese literary celebrities such as Bo Yang and Yu Qiuyu were invited to write or reminisce or comment on Taiwan that has gone through the "Wildfire Era". Background of the book: It was written by Long Yingtai in the 1980s, her famous work.In the 1980s, Taiwan was still under the rule of the Chiang dynasty.From Long Yingtai's writing, you can also feel the situation in Taiwan at that time, which is similar to the Republic of China era in TV movies.Taiwan at that time should have been devastated from the writings of Long Yingtai.The lack of democracy and freedom, people's numbness, rigid education, and harsh environment are all conveyed from her pen.This is the special era and background in which the wildfire episode appeared.

The author Long Yingtai once said that when you write, you are very naive. If you don’t have that naivety, if you know how many people have made futile efforts or how much irresistible darkness exists in the current situation, you will not be able to write at all.The reason why you continue to write is because you still think that words can have some impact, and you also think that the world can be changed because of you. "While this book is the product of a naive sense of justice, it is difficult for a society to progress without this naive sense of justice." As for the writing style full of sensibility, Long Yingtai said that the reason why it is not a simple passion, but a strategic writing, is because it was Taiwan in 1984, "the superficial cultural issues, environmental issues , economic issues, social issues, and educational issues, if we dig deeper, political issues are behind them. But the political atmosphere does not allow an author to touch, so what should you do? You have to start from the superficial economic issues, environmental issues, social issues, education issues, etc. Start with the problem", "Taiwan's development is of course completely different now. We need to calm down and dig deep into the problems behind it. The society needs intellectuals to play a calm and peaceful voice, not the kind of excited ones back then. , impassioned, revolutionary voice."

The purpose of the book: In the book, Long Yingtai further emphasized the special purpose of her writing, which is to hope to win the most possible in bright places where it can be published legally, so she did not criticize the political system, democratic system, This is different from those non-party publications that are circulated underground, because she believes that this can make the wild fire set spread as much as possible.She pointed the finger at the ugly phenomenon of society, asking the people to cry instead of numbness, to fight for rights instead of enduring bullying, and her finger pointed at the criticism of citizens, because she believed that the unreasonable social system and the ugly phenomenon would eventually From unresisting people who let these things happen.

Introduction to editions: A book can be printed and reprinted once, or reprinted in another place, or reprinted with additional editions, resulting in different editions. Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House first published in November 1988, with a first print of more than 60,000 volumes, which seems to be an astonishing number today, but it was not considered "top of the list" at that time.The bestsellers at that time often sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Compared with the "bestsellers" that are considered to be "bestsellers" when they are printed more than 10,000 copies, there is a world of difference.The simplified Chinese version is very crudely printed, and uses extremely rough "laminated film packaging", but it has its own pioneering work and literature value.

The first edition of Taipei Yuanshen Edition was published in December 1985. It was reprinted 24 times within one month, more than 50 times within half a year, and sold more than 100,000 copies. It is a rare spectacle in Taiwan's publishing industry.Many book buyers seem to walk into bookstores with a "sense of mission", often buying two books, one to read for themselves and one to give to a friend.A doctor once told Long Yingtai that he bought 300 copies and sent them around.School teachers also often order them collectively and use them as extracurricular readings for students.

It landed in Hong Kong in mid-1986. The publishing house is "Bo Yi", a publishing company under TVB. The "Bo Yi" edition has two characteristics: First, it still maintains the size of the popular pocket book in Hong Kong, but it is surprisingly thick. Standing side by side with the pocket book "used to be thin and happy to be thin" on the bookshelf is particularly eye-catching.Secondly, the sales were surprisingly good, and it sold 10,000 copies as soon as it was published. This is a publishing miracle that cannot be ignored for the Hong Kong market where the best-selling 2,000 copies can be ranked on the list.

About the author: Long Yingtai, native of Hengshan, Hunan, was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1952. He graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages ​​of Chenggong University in 1974, and then went to the United States for further study, studying English and American literature. After receiving a Ph.D. in English from Kansas State University in 1982, he worked as an associate professor in the Department of Foreign Languages ​​at City University of New York and Massey University. Returning to Taiwan in 1983, he first served as an associate professor in the Department of Foreign Languages ​​and Literatures of Central University, and then worked as a researcher at the Institute of Foreign Literatures of Tamkang University.

Published in 1984, "Longyingtai Commentary Novel" was sold out as soon as it was released, and was reprinted many times. Yu Guangzhong called it "tornado". Since 1985, she has published a large number of essays and novel reviews in Taiwan's "China Times" and other newspapers and periodicals, causing an uproar and becoming a very well-known newspaper columnist. The collection of column articles, printed 100 editions, and sold 200,000 copies, became popular in Taiwan. It is a book that had a huge impact on Taiwanese society in the 1980s. From 1986 to 1988, Lung Ying-tai lived in Switzerland due to family factors and concentrated on raising children.

In 1988, he moved to Germany and began to teach in the Sinology Department of Heidelberg University. He taught Taiwanese literature courses and directed student dramas every year. At the end of 1988, as the first Taiwanese female reporter, she visited Moscow for ten days at the invitation of the Soviet government. Since 1996, Long Yingtai has continuously published works in European newspapers and periodicals, presenting the views of a Chinese intellectual to European readers, which has attracted much attention. Since 1995, Long Yingtai has written "Long Yingtai Column" in the "PEN" supplement of Shanghai "Wen Wei Po".The contact with mainland readers and cultural people made her start to care more seriously about the cultural development of the mainland.In the three cultural circles of Europe, mainland China, and Taiwan, Long Yingtai's articles have become a rare archive.Now lives in Frankfurt, Germany.

Book review: The 1985 book was published with extreme caution under Taiwan's authoritarian political environment.In such an environment, the sound that is made naturally easily attracts public attention.Authoritarian politics no longer exists in Taiwan, but some scholars in Taiwan believe that such voices are more needed.Under the impact of value diversification, sober articles are also valuable.What is amazing is that the phenomenon of inferior milk powder, poisonous oil, and poisonous rice mentioned in the 2005 edition is precisely the current hot issue in the mainland. Editor's recommendation: In 1984, Taiwan was in the 1980s, when it was eager to break through the status quo and challenge authority. Looking at it 20 years later, it was also an era full of opportunities for Taiwan's destiny.A personal letter to "Chinese, why aren't you angry" will turn into a prairie fire. Through word of mouth, photocopies, and big-character posters, a woman who studied English and American literary criticism has become a source of energy to promote the society to tell the truth! It was published as a book in 1985, and it was reprinted 24 times in less than a month. It has been 20 years since one article was published that year to the best-selling book.These articles (including "Wildfire Outer Collection") have recorded Taiwan's youthful enthusiasm in the past 20 years. The reorganized "Wildfire Collection - 20th Anniversary Edition", in addition to retaining the author Long Yingtai's 27 wildfire texts of the year, and Some authors recalled the stories behind each article published in those years, and one article is a trace of the era of turmoil. In the new edition, 20 most representative Chinese at home and abroad, Bo Yang and Yu Qiuyu, etc. are invited to write or reminisce or comment on the article Taiwan, which has gone through the wildfire era, witnessed this 20th anniversary together.