Each story builds on the others to paint a small portrait of history. Ocean of Words won the 1997 Hemingway Foundation / PEN Award for best work by a previously unpublished author. The judges praised Jin in their comments, stating that his detailed observations of the customs of the day and his firm grasp of technique had turned messy reality into pure art.
《好兵》獲 1997 年美國筆會／海明威基金會小說處女作獎，評審用「他以對時代風俗的細微觀察，以他明顯地對技巧的全面掌握，從錯亂的現實中創造出純粹的藝術」譽之。