{ "item_title" : "The World as a Stage", "item_author" : [" Julie Ruhui Zhu", "Hai Lao "], "item_description" : "This book of Hai Lao's begins with a recounting of his past years, written at the age of thirty-seven, when, on the last day of 1980, he crossed the Luohu Bridge into Hong Kong. The final piece was written on Christmas Eve in 2017, marking another 37 years since that first crossing. These two 37-year periods serve as a dividing line in Hai Lao's life-a coincidence, but also a connection that is difficult for ordinary people to fully understand. In the decades after 1980, Hai Lao naturally has new stories, spanning from Hong Kong to the United States, which are chronicled in the fifth volume of his works, Drifting on the Sea. But the first 37 years, marked by turbulent waves, survival against all odds, are undeniably extraordinary. These early writings are primarily his personal history and also serve as testimony to the time and the individuals who, though small and weak, held onto their integrity, unwilling to bend to circumstances. The title Laughing at the World vividly captures this spirit. World refers to the world and era he experienced; laugh conveys his attitude toward the absurdities and injustices he encountered. In my interpretation, laughter here is the bitter, mocking, cold, and even contemptuous laughter of one who has survived hardship-its quiet wisdom after disaster, and its joyous release after escape from oppression. Hai Lao writes in his book: The Chinese common people have a way of passive resistance-everyone tacitly agrees to remain indifferent to everything.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers2.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/1/96/176/834/1961768348_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "25.95", "online_price" : "25.95", "our_price" : "25.95", "club_price" : "25.95", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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