蜃楼

Geling Yan opens the door to an era of narrative—the world is discovered and cultivated by restless spirits, and life, regardless of success or failure, is but a mirage. In 1990s Hainan Island, China, much like the American West during its pioneering era, it was chaotic, disorderly, and full of opportunities, attracting countless dream-chasers yearning for wealth and success. On this land brimming with both opportunities and pitfalls, Zhang Mingbo, a young man from Hebei, encounters two women destined to play significant roles in his life: Xiaoting, a rich businessman's mistress, and Lanlan, a courtesan. Xiaoting is his first love, leaving an indelible mark on Zhang Mingbo's heart. However, the numerous challenges of reality make this love fragile and out of reach. Lanlan, on the other hand, is Zhang Mingbo's support in times of hardship; her selfless devotion provides him with strength amidst life's storms. Zhang Mingbo also encounters the mysterious and wealthy Boss Biao, and the cunning and greedy Abu, becoming entangled in the greed and chaos of the bubble economy, experiencing the struggles and degradation of human nature. Geling Yan, born in Shanghai, joined the army as a teenager and became a writer at the age of twenty. In 1986, she published her first novel and joined the Chinese Writers Association in the same year. Her representative works include "Fusang," "The Human World," "The White Snake," "Siao Yu," "The Ninth Widow," "Little Aunt Crane," "The Flowers of War," "Stories of Suizi," "The Criminal Lu Yanshi," "Macau Is a City," and "Mirati." Geling Yan went to the United States for further studies in 1989, attending Columbia College Chicago and earning an MFA in Creative Writing. Since 1990, she has published nearly a hundred works overseas and has received numerous literary awards in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. In 2007, she published her first novel written in English, "The Banquet Bug," which received critical acclaim in Britain and America and was selected for BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. Films adapted from Geling Yan's novels, with her participation in screenwriting, such as "Siao Yu" and "Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl," have won six awards at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival and seven Golden Horse Awards, respectively. Films adapted from "The Flowers of War" and "The Criminal Lu Yanshi," directed by Zhang Yimou, were screened at the Berlin and Cannes Film Festivals, respectively. Geling Yan's novels have been translated into 21 languages, including English, French, Dutch, Italian, German, and Japanese.