Survivors like us

We, the Survivors

No matter who you are or where you come from, living in this world, fortunately surviving,
But we are the only ones who survived and are powerless to change.
A heart-shaking masterpiece by internationally renowned Chinese-American writer Ou Daxu.
Finalist for the 2020 Los Angeles Times Book Prize!
"Survivors, Like Us" appears to be a murderer recounting "his world" and "his memories" to a young researcher (one from a completely different background), but it can also be seen as a form of appeal, resistance, and retelling. Because "what I've experienced is not something the law can determine," "what I've experienced is not something someone of your class can understand." Ou Daxu doesn't write about intellectuals, nor does he view his characters from an intellectual's perspective. He seems to be questioning his own identity as a writer: Even if you can converse with them, can you truly "write for them"?
— Wu Mingyi "You want me to talk about life, but all I talk about is failure."
We are not treated as real people, our names are never remembered,
We can only try to survive because this is our destiny.
Raised in a Malaysian fishing village, Ah Fu has long been accustomed to his humble origins and content with a monotonous existence. His father, grandfather, and all the men around him were fishermen, their fates dictated by circumstances, facing tides and storms daily, and considering being alive a blessing. In the eyes of others, Ah Fu comes from a miserable lower class, and no matter how hard he tries to rise above, his life has no choice.
Until one day, Ah Fu becomes the mastermind behind a murder. People suspect him of despair or madness, but American sociology PhD Tan Sumin becomes curious about Ah Fu's life and, under the guise of an interview, seeks to document the life experiences she herself has been unable to experience. In their repeated conversations, Ah Fu recounts his memories, including his occasional bouts of self-doubt. His unwavering recounting gradually reveals the class gap between them and the difficulty of mutual understanding. The seemingly peaceful conversation, however, harbors a hidden tension, transforming into another kind of confrontation and questioning.
"Survivors, Like Us" is another profound work by Ou Daxu that gazes at reality. With such elegance and sorrow, it depicts the struggles and wanderings of marginalized people in society, and forces readers to reflect on power, race, and class. Can survivors who have suffered so much pain find the light of hope in despair?

2021-10-28

聯經出版

360

9789570860474