''Crystal Boys'' (孽子,

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally writte ...

: ''Nièzǐ'', "sons of sin") is a novel written by author

Pai Hsien-yung Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai (; born July 11, 1937) is a Chinese writer from Taiwan who has been described as a "melancholy pioneer". He was born in Guilin, Guangxi at the cusp of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Pai's father was the Kuomintang (KMT) ge ...

and first published in 1983 in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

. In 1988, this novel went into circulation in China; its French and English translations were published in 1985 and 1989. A translation into German ("Treffpunkt Lotussee") appeared in 1995. ''Nièzǐ'' means literally "sinful sons" or "sons of sin", but it may also be an allusion to a passage in Mencius in which "friendless officials and concubine's sons" (孤臣孽子) reach positions of power because they have learned to live with a dangerous status. A movie called '' Outcasts'', based on this novel, was released in 1986. In 2003, the material was adapted by

Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation (PTS Foundation/Public Television Service Foundation, ), also called Public Television Service (PTS, ), is the first independent public broadcasting institution in Taiwan, which broadcasts the Public Te ...

into a miniseries. There is a reference to You Xian Ku in the chapter "Journey to the Goblin Cave".

Plot summary

The story takes place in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

in 1971 (or, in the most recent film adaptation, in 1973), and follows a short period in the life of a young man called Li-Qing (李青, nicknamed ''A-Qing''). When A-Qing is expelled from his school because of "scandalous relations" with classmate Zhao Ying (趙英), his father kicks him out of the family home. A-Qing begins to hang out at a park called New Park, a gay cruising area and hangout for gay men, where he meets the novel's other primary characters.

Characters

* A-Qing 阿青: the main character, a strong character both emotionally and physically. * Di-wa 弟娃: A-Qing's younger brother. * Xiao Yu 小玉: A somewhat flamboyant Japanese-Taiwanese. Dreams of going to Japan to find his father. * Lao Shu (Mouse) 老鼠: A petty thief, a bit sloppy, a little silly. Lives with his abusive older brother in a house of gambling and crime. * Wu Min 吴敏: Like A-Qing, was kicked from his home by his father. While physically strong, he is emotionally weak, attempting suicide after his lover breaks up with him. * Master Yang, Shi Fu 師傅: Pimp of the above mentioned characters, he helps give them jobs and protection, later opening a gay bar. * Lao Guo 老郭: A retired photographer, who keeps a photo book of the various characters who flock to the park. First one to take A-Qing in. * Long Zi (Dragon) 王夔龙，龍子: Returns to Taipei after living in USA, where he went after murdering his lover A-Feng in a fit of rage. Their story has become legendary in the park. * A-Feng (Phoenix) 阿鳳: The wild son of a mute woman, grew up an orphan. Was Long Zi's lover, but was killed by him. The story focuses on A-Qing's struggle between himself, his family, and a society where homosexuality is taboo.

Translations

An English translation of the novel by

Howard Goldblatt Howard Goldblatt (, born 1939) is a literary translator of numerous works of contemporary Chinese (mainland China & Taiwan) fiction, including '' The Taste of Apples'' by Huang Chunming and '' The Execution of Mayor Yin'' by Chen Ruoxi. Goldblatt ...

, titled ''Crystal Boys'', was published in 1990 by Gay Sunshine Press.

TV series

The TV series ''Crystal Boys '' stars: * Fan Chi-wei (范植偉 as A-Qing) *

Tony Yang Tony Yang (; born 30 August 1982) is a Taiwanese actor who rose to prominence for his debut film role in ''Formula 17'' (2004), for which he won the Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer. He is also known for his roles in the Taiwanese box ...

(楊佑寧 as Zhao Ying) *

Joseph Chang Joseph Chang Hsiao-chuan (, born 28 December 1983) is a Taiwanese actor. He is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed 2006 Taiwanese film '' Eternal Summer'', which earned him two Golden Horse Awards nominations for ''Best Support ...

(張孝全 as Wu Min 吳敏) * Wu Huai Zhong (吴怀中 as Lao Shu 老鼠)

References

External links