Border Town and “Portrait of Eight Steeds”

Shen Congwen knows how to tease, as when he teases that honorable ferryman in Border Town, or pokes fun at Mr. Dashi, the main character of “Portrait of Eight Steeds.” As an earnest and passionate person, Shen Congwen has too much compassion for his characters, and it would be too hard for him to observe the world objectively. At the beginning of Border Town, Shen Congwen presents to us a place called Chadong in western Hunan, a place that is natural and graceful, both medieval and modern, rich in local color and with a plot like those usually found in a mid-Qing traditional novel. Using circumstances and atmosphere to contrast and emphasize inner psychology is Shen Congwen’s talent, and he does it to near-perfection in Border Town and “Portrait of Eight Steeds.” Border Town is to that extent an idyllic masterpiece.