''Muddy Torrent Trilogy'' (濁流三部曲) is a Taiwanese epic novel written by

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka-speaking Chinese, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas, are a southern Han Chinese subgroup whose principal settlements and ancestral homes are dispersed widely across the provinces of southern China ...

author

Chung Chao-cheng Chung Chao-cheng (; Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''Chûng Sau-chṳn''; Taiwanese ; 20 January 1925 – 16 May 2020) was a Taiwanese novelist of Hakka descent born in the Hsinchu Prefecture during the Japanese rule period (now part of Lungtan District ...

. It was created from 1961 to 1963 and falls under the

autobiographical novel An autobiographical novel, also known as an autobiographical fiction, fictional autobiography, or autobiographical fiction novel, is a type of novel which uses autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements. The ...

genre. The trilogy intricately depicts the social changes under the influence of a colossal era, solidifying his position as an " epic novelist".

Plot

The protagonist is named Lu Chih-lung. The first part narrates his struggles facing the dual pressures of colonial policies and the education system. The second part describes his experiences during the late stages of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

and the period of Japan's unconditional surrender, including his studies and conscription as an apprentice soldier. The third part portrays Lu Chih-lung's post-war period, breaking away from

Japanese militarism was the ideology in the Empire of Japan which advocated the belief that militarism should dominate the political and social life of the nation, and the belief that the strength of the military is equal to the strength of a nation. It was most ...

and readapting to

Chinese culture Chinese culture () is one of the Cradle of civilization#Ancient China, world's earliest cultures, said to originate five thousand years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia called the Sinosphere as a whole ...

, life, and language.

Reception

Literary scholar Chen Chang-ming commented that ''Muddy Torrent Trilogy'' is the origin of Taiwanese epic novels, a historical epic that writes about the nation's suffering. Another notable feature of this work is the presentation of the colonial experience. Through the protagonist, it reflects the contradictory identity views of intellectuals from the Japanese rule period to the early post-war period.

Chen Fang-ming Chen or Ch'en may refer to: People *Chen (surname) (陳 / 陈), a common Chinese surname *Chen (singer) (born 1992), member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band EXO * Chen Chen (poet) (born 1989), Chinese-American poet * (), a Hebrew first na ...

, another literary researcher, said, "Chung Chao-cheng's artistic achievement is fully demonstrated in the rendering of epic novels. Through the depiction of family history, he outlined the destiny of the entire Taiwanese people. Chung Chao-cheng's recognition in Taiwanese literary history is undoubtedly due to his completion of two huge works, namely ''Muddy Torrent Trilogy'' and ''

Trilogy of Taiwanese People A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...

'' (臺灣人三部曲)." The novel reflects personal experiences and the influence of the government's literary policies at the time of its creation. Chung Chao-cheng noted that the anti-Japanese theme in the book was encouraged by the government during that period, aligning with the themes that he could effectively explore.

References

{{reflist Taiwanese novels 1960s novels Chinese-language novels