Wolfgang Kubin's views on Chinese writing and writers
May 11, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Kubin's views on modern and contemporary literature are controversial, at least in China where he has said there's virtually no prose worth reading since 1949. Perhaps his most famous and strident criticism came in an interview with Deutsche Welle in November 2006.
Where is the voice of China?
"The Chinese writers are particularly gutless. Is there such a Chinese writer as Lu Xun today? None." He asked at the time.
Since then he has repeated and elaborated upon his views and he did so again with Shanghai Daily, without mincing words.
"Few 21st century Chinese novels are good, because a good thought is rare, while a good novel needs a good thought as support, not only a good plot," he said.
"Contemporary Chinese literature, which has been affected by a political style of writing, tends to be vague," he said. "Also, after 1949, people basically cannot find a Chinese writer who can speak a foreign language, which is a huge problem."
Writers who speak only their mother tongue cannot use another language to enrich or examine their own work, he said, and they also have a very poor understanding of foreign literature.
Kubin himself is fluent in English and Chinese and is familiar with French, Japanese and Greek.
Contemporary writers tend to be limited in vision and imagination and they also don't write very good Chinese, Kubin has said, so their work lacks the depth, grandeur and nuance of the language.
There are virtually no promising young Chinese writers, he said. Asked about Han Han, best-selling author, blogger and opinion leader among young people, he said, "Han Han dares to speak, which is rare and good, but that doesn't mean he is a great writer." As for popular writer Guo Jingming, who is not yet 30, Kubin said, "What he writes is only for teenagers."
What makes a good writer?
"Thought is the most important thing in a book more than plot," Kubin said. "But a good thought is rare.
"Also, beautiful language is a must. Life is full of stories and a novelist should not only tell a story, but express thoughts via beautiful language."
Before 1949, he cites the works of Eleen Chang, Lin Yu-tang, Hu Shi "who were pretty good with foreign languages and some authors such as Lu Xun, could handle two foreign languages."
Many modern works, such as those of Yu Hua, who wrote about the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) "repeat the same stories and therefore are not thoughtful," he said. Novels by Mo Yan (his "Red Sorghum" was partly the basis of the film "Red Sorghum," 1987) are like novels in the 19th century which tell lots of stories but exist apart from contemporary thought, Kubin said.
He was also critical of Chinese writers who changed course in search of wealth or fame.
"During the 1980s and 1990s, many Chinese scholars went into business, causing them to lose the ability to write good works. Some could not write well after they made a name for themselves."
His standards are high.
"An author must write during his whole lifetime," Kubin said.
Poets write the best prose
He likes the prose of Bei Dao, who is also a poet and perhaps the most notable representative of the "Misty Poets," who rebelled against the restrictions and limited language of the "cultural revolution." They inspired many young people.
The prose of Yu Qiuyu isn't bad but his works are flawed, Kubin commented, saying Yu develops good plots but in the end "he doesn't dare draw the necessary conclusions." Thus, those works disappoint.
But Kubin praised the creativity and integrity of contemporary Chinese poets such as Ouyang Jianghe, whom he calls one of the most important writers in the Chinese language today, Xi Chuan, Zhai Yongming and Yang Lian.
"Personally, I like Bei Dao and that group of people. Poets from both the 1980s and 1990s are excellent. The times create those talents," he told Shanghai Dailiy.
During that period China was reversing the views of the "cultural revolution" and undertaking a policy of reform and opening up to other countries, ideas and cultures.
Sichuan poet Ouyang Jianghe, Kubin wrote in January this year, "demanded that Chinese literature shed its outdated, black-and-white, simplistically political modes of expression and devote itself entirely to problems of aesthetics and language."
In the same essay, he called him an international poet, saying, "All superb poetry today is international, no longer national."
A number of significant contemporary poets have been translated but much translation remains, Kubin said, adding, "Only I can do the job." Germany has a dozen first-class translators, including many of his students, but Kubin said that only he himself can properly translate Chinese poetry, which requires great accuracy and a grasp of spiritual meanings.
Where is the voice of China?
"The Chinese writers are particularly gutless. Is there such a Chinese writer as Lu Xun today? None." He asked at the time.
Since then he has repeated and elaborated upon his views and he did so again with Shanghai Daily, without mincing words.
"Few 21st century Chinese novels are good, because a good thought is rare, while a good novel needs a good thought as support, not only a good plot," he said.
"Contemporary Chinese literature, which has been affected by a political style of writing, tends to be vague," he said. "Also, after 1949, people basically cannot find a Chinese writer who can speak a foreign language, which is a huge problem."
Writers who speak only their mother tongue cannot use another language to enrich or examine their own work, he said, and they also have a very poor understanding of foreign literature.
Kubin himself is fluent in English and Chinese and is familiar with French, Japanese and Greek.
Contemporary writers tend to be limited in vision and imagination and they also don't write very good Chinese, Kubin has said, so their work lacks the depth, grandeur and nuance of the language.
There are virtually no promising young Chinese writers, he said. Asked about Han Han, best-selling author, blogger and opinion leader among young people, he said, "Han Han dares to speak, which is rare and good, but that doesn't mean he is a great writer." As for popular writer Guo Jingming, who is not yet 30, Kubin said, "What he writes is only for teenagers."
What makes a good writer?
"Thought is the most important thing in a book more than plot," Kubin said. "But a good thought is rare.
"Also, beautiful language is a must. Life is full of stories and a novelist should not only tell a story, but express thoughts via beautiful language."
Before 1949, he cites the works of Eleen Chang, Lin Yu-tang, Hu Shi "who were pretty good with foreign languages and some authors such as Lu Xun, could handle two foreign languages."
Many modern works, such as those of Yu Hua, who wrote about the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) "repeat the same stories and therefore are not thoughtful," he said. Novels by Mo Yan (his "Red Sorghum" was partly the basis of the film "Red Sorghum," 1987) are like novels in the 19th century which tell lots of stories but exist apart from contemporary thought, Kubin said.
He was also critical of Chinese writers who changed course in search of wealth or fame.
"During the 1980s and 1990s, many Chinese scholars went into business, causing them to lose the ability to write good works. Some could not write well after they made a name for themselves."
His standards are high.
"An author must write during his whole lifetime," Kubin said.
Poets write the best prose
He likes the prose of Bei Dao, who is also a poet and perhaps the most notable representative of the "Misty Poets," who rebelled against the restrictions and limited language of the "cultural revolution." They inspired many young people.
The prose of Yu Qiuyu isn't bad but his works are flawed, Kubin commented, saying Yu develops good plots but in the end "he doesn't dare draw the necessary conclusions." Thus, those works disappoint.
But Kubin praised the creativity and integrity of contemporary Chinese poets such as Ouyang Jianghe, whom he calls one of the most important writers in the Chinese language today, Xi Chuan, Zhai Yongming and Yang Lian.
"Personally, I like Bei Dao and that group of people. Poets from both the 1980s and 1990s are excellent. The times create those talents," he told Shanghai Dailiy.
During that period China was reversing the views of the "cultural revolution" and undertaking a policy of reform and opening up to other countries, ideas and cultures.
Sichuan poet Ouyang Jianghe, Kubin wrote in January this year, "demanded that Chinese literature shed its outdated, black-and-white, simplistically political modes of expression and devote itself entirely to problems of aesthetics and language."
In the same essay, he called him an international poet, saying, "All superb poetry today is international, no longer national."
A number of significant contemporary poets have been translated but much translation remains, Kubin said, adding, "Only I can do the job." Germany has a dozen first-class translators, including many of his students, but Kubin said that only he himself can properly translate Chinese poetry, which requires great accuracy and a grasp of spiritual meanings.
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