Author Description

This novel is a sweeping work of Mo Yan's wildly imaginative prose, representing the pinnacle of absurd fantasy in Chinese literature. Through six interconnected, surreal dreams, it expresses Mo Yan's imaginative vision and longing for the Grass-Eating Clan of Gaomi's Northeast Township. Mo Yan posits that humanity's most primitive ancestors were likely herbivores. The members of the Grass-Eating Clan are described as pure, kind, and beautiful. Their daily diet of grass keeps their teeth exceptionally white, and their breath carries a constant, fresh scent of foliage... They subsisted solely on grass, harboring no excessive demands on nature or grand ambitions. When faced with natural disasters, they entrusted themselves to divine protection yet also relied on their own strength to confront adversity...; yet they too experienced fear, violence, vengeance, and ugly desires...