After Hong Chufang (Red Recipe) and Xie Linglong (Bloody Exquisiteness), the third novel from Beijing writer Bi Shumin is a serious work with a somewhat deviant title.
Published in June, Zhengjiu Rufang (Save the Breast), which sounds like erotica, does not use sex as its selling point, but in fact deals with the stories of a group of breast cancer patients.
However, the unconventional title has drawn some criticism among both ordinary readers and literary critics.
The book's title is considered to be flirting with readers and luring people to buy it by suggesting sexual overtones.
The writer has denied the charge.
"It is not an all-sided view to judge a book merely by its title," explained Bi.
According to Bi, the title was picked by the publisher, People's Literature Publishing House , after careful and cautious consideration of several possibilities.
Publishing house director Liu Yushan argued that by using the present title, they were not catering to the lower tastes of some readers.
"As an established writer, it is unnecessary for Bi to do so," Liu said.
"Those who have not read the novel might bear 'certain thoughts'," he conceded. "But after reading it, they will agree that this is the most suitable title."
The book's first printing ran 120,000 copies, a very large number since the ordinary first print amount for novels sits between 5,000 to 50,000 copies.
Bi originally entitled the novel Aizheng Xiaozu (Cancer Patients Group), but it was given up after publishing insiders warned that the word cancer might scare away readers.
Most of Bi's previous literary works were related to illness, life and death -- the writer draws from personal experience when she was originally a physician and turned to writing after 20 years in the medical field.
Bi was one of the representatives for "New Experience Writing," a literary school which originated in 1993 in Beijing and claims that the writers' personal experiences should be the foundation for literary writing.
"A writer needs some reasons to write a novel. For my own part, my experience two decades ago has fostered a keen interest in human beings. While writing, I always pay special attention to life and death, which is the persistent theme of my novels," said the writer.
And Save the Breast is no exception.
The novel is about several breast cancer patients, and a psychologist who unites the patients and offers them support. Facing the threat of death, the patients are also experiencing a mental crisis. Some are discriminated against after the surgical removal of their breasts, some develop split personalities and some lose their zest for life and their belief in true love.
"The basic tone of the novel is oppressive, with vivid descriptions of the patients' mentality facing the threat of death," Bi claimed.
For that reason, the novel has been dubbed the first "psychotherapy novel" in China.
(China Daily June 18, 2003)
