- 1-

William Somerset-Mao Mu is regarded as "the best storyteller" by the world. Because of this, every time he picks up a work, he is always full of expectation, expecting another pleasant and hearty reading experience. In the novel Blade published by 1944, Mao Mu appears in the whole story with his real identity and real name, which adds freshness to the carefree reading process.

I always insist on reading paper books, and Blade is no exception. When I watched the unread part of the paper slowly thinning with the progress of the story, I always felt a little unfinished tension and reluctance, as if I didn't want the story to end as soon as possible. However, after reading the last page carefully, a sense of emptiness and helplessness slowly rises from the bottom of my heart. Confused eyes seem to see that Mao Mu has stood up, knocked out the ash in his pipe, put on a windbreaker, spread out his hands and grabbed a white hat and said to you: This is the story, and what you think is your own business. ...

The shock brought by this book is far from what I expected. Even, I don't think the word "shock" should be used at all. To be exact, when the book is closed, all that remains in my heart is confusion or a vague blank. If I have to take a clear-cut stand, I admit that I can only give Samsung's judgment.

Able to shrug off Mao Mu seriously said:

Um ... ok ...

-2-

The background of this book is set in 19 19, just after World War I, and the protagonist of this book-Larry is a veteran of World War I even though he just turned 20-joined the Air Force at the age of 18 and became a pilot fighting in France.

For those who have not personally participated in the war, the cruelty of the war and the fear and shock brought by death to the soldiers at all times are simply beyond our empathy. On a mission, Larry witnessed his best comrade-in-arms die trying to save him.

After returning to the United States after the war, Larry, who was troubled by these problems, refused to go to college for further study and refused to find a job. At first, all this was understood by people around me. After all, he has experienced too much on the battlefield. However, Larry, who still enjoys an "idle" life one year after his discharge from the army, is no longer accepted by mainstream values.

Larry is eager to seek the value and meaning of life.

The first formal conversation between Mao Mu and Larry took place in a Chicago clubhouse with a library. At that time, Larry was absorbed in reading the most important book in the history of psychology, Principles of Psychology. At that time, Larry obviously disagreed with Mao Mu's suggestion that he should receive a college education:

Of course, the confused Larry did not choose to fool around, but chose to go to Paris to sort out his thoughts freely in order to find the future direction.

Choice is reading!

During his two years in Paris, Larry spent 8- 10 hours reading every day, and almost all the important works of French literature were read. Reading the original Odyssey made him excited, as if he could touch the stars in the sky as long as he stood on tiptoe and reached out; Understanding Spinoza's works made him feel as happy as landing on a quiet plateau with fresh air by plane. Reading Descartes' works, through the freedom and elegance between the lines, makes Larry's spiritual life wonderful and full.

All these reading behaviors are just because Larry wants to find the answer to the question in his heart: does he want to make sure whether there is a God or not? Trying to find out why evil exists? I also want to know whether the soul is immortal or whether the death of the body is the end. ...

And all this, in the mainstream values, this kind of reading behavior with no practical value is just evading responsibility and just covering up the actual laziness with pretend efforts. Because men must be diligent, men should work, which is the purpose of life and the way to benefit society.

For a moment, I was ashamed of my illiquid reading behavior. ...

-3-

Let's look back at the background of the novel and Larry's character setting.

Hemingway said in his first novel The Sun Also Rises: You are all a lost generation!

The lost generation is confused because its traditional values are no longer suitable for the post-war world, but it can't find a new standard of living.

American youth Larry may be the "lost generation" in the eyes of British writer Mao Mu.

Larry has a good family background. His father is an assistant professor specializing in Latin at Yale University, and his mother is an old Quaker in Philadelphia (I don't know what it is). However, they all died prematurely, leaving Larry with a meager legacy. In other words, Larry has certain assets and can maintain a decent life even if he doesn't work.

This is the best mate choice in the new era: one car and one room, and both parents are dead. But can such a character set represent the lost generation? Moreover, did Larry finally find the meaning of life in this work?

I don't think Mao Mu gave a satisfactory answer. As the introduction of this book says:

Every night, I also like to lie under the bed and think about life by the faint yellow light. I am always questioning the significance of my small existence in the vast universe. When I can't sleep because I am confused and don't understand the value and meaning of life, I know very well that it is just obsessive-compulsive disorder of staying up late.