《死水微澜》是李劼人于1935年创作完成的长篇小说。出版后迅速轰动一时,郭沫若甚至称李劼人为“中国的左拉”。该书标志着中国现代长篇小说的成熟。全书共《序幕》《在天回镇》《交流》《兴顺号的故事》《死水微澜》《余波》六章,以1894年到1901年,即甲午中日战争到辛丑条约签订时的这一段时间为时代背景,讲述成都城外一个小乡镇的人情风貌,具体写出当时内地社会上两种恶势力的相激相荡,同时反映出当时国际形势的变化与帝国主义侵略的残酷。对当时地方上的民俗风情、市民阶层的心理状态和生活方式做了惟妙惟肖的刻画,充分展现了一潭死水似的现实黑暗面;欧美物质文明侵入后,教民和袍哥两股势力的相互激荡和消长,在“死水”上激起“微澜”,点染出帝国主义入侵中国、清政府对外屈辱投降的历史气氛。 Ripples Across Stagnant Water is a novel written by Li Jieren in 1935. This book marks the maturity of modern Chinese novels. The book consists of six chapters, with the period from 1894 to 1901 as the background, telling about the customs of a small town outside Chengdu, specifically describing the fierce interaction of two evil forces in the local society, and reflecting the changes of the international situation and the cruelty of the imperialist aggression at that time.