What is a novel? The theoretical definition is: A novel is the author's artistic summary of social life, using the language of a narrator to depict life events, shape character images, develop the theme of the work, express the author's thoughts and feelings, and thereby artistically reflect and represent social life as a form of literature. Writers, however, have their own understanding of novels. For instance, Jia Pingwa says: "What is a novel? A novel is a kind of speaking, telling a story. We have made countless efforts - there are already so many writers and works in the world, how do we pass by them and still continue walking - in fact, it's all about attempting new ways of telling stories." (Postscript of "White Nights"). This experiential statement that "a novel is a kind of speaking" is worth serious contemplation by us who are just beginning to learn about novels.