Author Description

A true story based on the author, Wang Anyis experiences in the countryside during the Cultural Revolution, Love in a Small Town is also the her personal exploration into human nature and sexuality. Written at a time when sex was still a taboo subject in China, the novel caused a scandal when it was published in 1986 in a journal. The two young protagonists, who were destined to becomedancers in a local troupeduring the Cultural Revolution, experienced a slow increase of desire. Despite the era in which they were banned to have sex before marriage, they broke this barrier naturally. They felt impelled by a passion however, they quickly became aware of having transgressed a prohibition and started feeling guilty due to their lack of morality. With an excessive and delicate style, Wang Anyi captivates the readers from the beginning, taking them into the anguish and sorrow of the protagonists.