叶兆言所著的《动物的意志》的创作题材并不单一，最耀眼的是追怀民国时期前尘旧事的小说，被文学史家称为“从民间的角度来重写民国史”。叶兆言的散文表达了浓厚的“文人”情调，无论是漫谈古城南京、闲话文化名人，还是追怀亲朋好友，都显得学识渊博、坦诚真挚，散发出平和恬淡的儒雅气息。《动物的意志》用最理性、最理想的文字，书写最真实、最本源的欲望。( The Will of An Animal written by Ye Zhaoyan is not of single theme. The most dazzling one is the reminiscence of the story during the Republic of China, which is commented by the historians of literature as “to re-write the history of the Republic from the perspective of the folk.” The prose written by Ye Zhaoyan expresses a strong “literati” mood, whether talking about the ancient city of Nanjing, discussing culture celebrities, or memorizing friends and family, they are all knowledgeable, frank and sincere, exuding calm and tranquil refined atmosphere. The Will of An Animal writes the most authentic and the most original desire with the most rational and the most ideal words. )