The Republic of Wine：A Novel

Inthishypnoticepicnovel,MoYan,themostcriticallyacclaimedChinesewriterofthisgeneration,takesusonajourneytoaconjuredprovinceofcontemporaryChinaknownastheRepublicofWine—acorruptandhallucinatoryworldfilledwithsuperstitions,gargantuanappetites,andsurrealisticevents.WhenrumorsreachtheauthoritiesthatstrangeandexcessivegourmandiseisbeingpracticedinthecityofLiquorland(sonamedforthestaggeringamountofalcoholproducedandconsumedthere),veteranspecialinvestigatorDingGou'erisdispatchedfromthecapitaltodiscoverthetruth.HismissionbeginsattheMountLouCoalMine,whereheencounterstheprimesuspect—DeputyHeadDiamondJin,legendaryforhiscapacitytoholdhisliquor.DuringtheensuingdrinkingduelatabanquetservedinDing'shonor,theinvestigatorlosesallsenseofreality,andcannolongertellwhethertheroastsucklingservedisoftheanimalorhumanvariety.Whenhefinallywakesupfromhisstupor,hehasstillfoundnoanswerstohisrapidlymountingquestions.Worseyet,hesoonfindsthathistrustygunismissing.Interspersedthroughoutthenarrative—andDing'sfalteringinvestigation—areletterssenttoMoYanbyoneLiYidou,adoctoralcandidateinLiquorStudiesandanaspiringwriter.EachlettercontainsastorythatLiwouldliketherenownedauthor'shelpingettingpublished.However,Li'stales,eachmorefantasticandmalevolentthanthelast,soonbeginalarminglytoresemblethestoryofDing'scontinuingtravailsinLiquorland.Peopledbyextraordinarycharacters—adwarf,ascalydemon,atroupeofplump,delectableboysraisedincaptivity,acookeryteacherwhoprimesherstudentswithmonstrousrecipes—MoYan'srevolutionarytourdeforcereaffirmshisreputationasawriterofworldstanding.Wild,bawdy,politicallyexplosive,andsubversive,TheRepublicofWineisbothmesmerizingandexhilarating,provingthatnorepressiveregimecanstifletruecreativeimagination.省人民检察院的特级侦察员丁钩儿奉命到酒国市去调查一个特殊的案子：酒国市的官员吃掉了无数婴儿。但到酒国市的人没有能经得起诱惑的，丁钩儿虽不断提醒自己不喝酒，最后却醉酒淹死在茅厕里。《酒国》中的官员之所以为官，不是因为他们才华高过他人，而是因为海量，并且食欲旺盛。吃的影响已经到了这样一种地步，吃可以改变一个人的命运。《酒国》不是通常意义上的反腐小说，莫言在酒国中还通过酒国酿造学院勾兑专业的博士研究生李一斗不断寄给作家莫言的小说中，几乎将整个20世纪中国各种各样小说，从狂人日记到武侠小说，再到魔幻小说、先锋小说之类都戏仿了一遍。