Flowers in the Mirror
26 hrs. 20 min.
Language
Russian
Author
Li Ruzhen
Author
Li Ruzhen
Narrator
Andrey Trommelman
Narrator
Andrey Trommelman
Description
The gods behave like ordinary people: they bicker, discuss others behind their backs, file complaints, and neglect their duties—leading to their banishment into the world of mortals.
People, by contrast, act like gods: they do good deeds, cultivate positive traits within themselves, and thereby attain immortality.
Beautiful people with aristocratic features turn out to be empty talkers, while the not-beautiful possess real talents and knowledge. The seller lowers the price, and the buyer raises it. Fish put out fires, and flowers bloom in winter.
Everything is the opposite—our familiar assumptions have been turned upside down.
Such is the unusual form of Li Zhuangzhen’s novel “Flowers in the Mirror,” where historical facts intertwine with fiction and fantasy gives way to scientific musings. That is why Chinese literary scholars were unable to classify this work within traditional categories of Chinese fiction.
Continuing the best traditions of his predecessors, Li Zhuangzhen created a work that synthesizes traits of different genres—such as science fiction, history, satire, and travel. Some parts of “Flowers in the Mirror” are clearly journalistic in character, especially the chapters that defend ideas related to women’s equality.
People, by contrast, act like gods: they do good deeds, cultivate positive traits within themselves, and thereby attain immortality.
Beautiful people with aristocratic features turn out to be empty talkers, while the not-beautiful possess real talents and knowledge. The seller lowers the price, and the buyer raises it. Fish put out fires, and flowers bloom in winter.
Everything is the opposite—our familiar assumptions have been turned upside down.
Such is the unusual form of Li Zhuangzhen’s novel “Flowers in the Mirror,” where historical facts intertwine with fiction and fantasy gives way to scientific musings. That is why Chinese literary scholars were unable to classify this work within traditional categories of Chinese fiction.
Continuing the best traditions of his predecessors, Li Zhuangzhen created a work that synthesizes traits of different genres—such as science fiction, history, satire, and travel. Some parts of “Flowers in the Mirror” are clearly journalistic in character, especially the chapters that defend ideas related to women’s equality.
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