WX: Even the Volcano can Cool down
Even the volcano can cool down, let alone human beings’ hearts.One of the strongest love I have read is in Cha’s novel “The Return of the Condor Heroes”, just after “Wuthering Heights” and “Gone with the Wind”. Miss Long lies to Mr. Yang that 16 years later she will come back, and then she jumps off the valley to end her life. 16 years later Mr. Yang knows the truth and jumps off the valley too, for his endless love to Miss Long, 16 years later.
Why not 8 years? It is because 8 years is too short and Miss Long worries that he will still remember her. Why not 32 years? It is because 32 years is too long and she worries that he can not wait so long and jumps off the valley immediately after she jumps.
Thousands of years, countless writers write the eternal love in their books, just because in the real world, this so-called “eternal love” rarely exists. Even the volcano can cool down, let alone human beings’ hearts.
While these writers wirte their wishes in their books, and film makers put them on TV, they are just praising something noble but nonexistent in the real world, which makes us believe it, seek for it perpetually, and hurt ourselves badly.
I see some people moanthing about nothing or pitying themselves when they can not find the so-called love.
I also see some people summon up their courage and make some achievements in their career life after their love life collapses.
The later can always make their life better and better while the former will only make their situation worse and worse.
Comments (4)
Not every novelist writes about the "eternal love", as you call it. And not every film maker produces the "Hollywood Ending" type movie, where the hero walks into the sunset holding the girl's hand.
I agree, most books and films are made to this "escapist" formula--for a very simple reason. Nobody will buy the product with an "unhappy ending". So it's strictly business. Writers and film makers have families. They need to eat.
On the other hand, I can think of numerous writers and film makers who DON'T produce work to this escapist formula. Sadly, they are a fast-dimishing breed--because these days, most publishing houses and film studios are run by accountants--so artistic content is less important than profit. Even so, there are many artists who still produce meaningful work devoid of the "over-emotional" content which you dislike.
Living in China, you may not be aware of their names. Or their work may be banned. Here's two examples.
Yes, the market plays an important role. That’ why nowadays the good books are fewer and fewer.
I do not say that I dislike the "over-emotional content". Actually I think it is very boring if a book contains no emotion. Love is the eternal theme of human beings, so it is also the eternal theme of literature. If I read a book which contains nothing about love, I will
It depends on the writer’s writing skills and their intentions. A bad writer may write “the eternal love” in a terrible way,which only aims at how to catch reader's eyes; while a good writer can write it in an excellent way, which aims to give some inspiration to readers, enlighten readers and tell them some truth.
And thank you for your links. I go to see it.
Take Titanic for example. The first half of the movie was like watching paint dry. Just waiting and waiting and waiting for the ship to hit the iceberg.
And then it got exciting.
Terrible, aren't I.
When my friend watched "Apocalypto", in the following days, she did not want to eat, could not sleep. But I watched it three times. A very very good film.
Terrible, aren't I?