A Short History Of Modern Chinese Literature

First published in 1961, and reissued in new editions several times, this is the pioneering, classic study of 20th-century Chinese fiction. The book covers some 60 years, from the Literary Revolution of 1917 through the Cultural Revolution of 1966-76. C. T. Hsia, Prof. Emeritus of Chinese at Columbia Univ., examines the major writers from Lu Hsun to Eileen Chang and representative works since 1949 from both mainland China and Taiwan. The first serious study of modern Chinese fiction in English, this book is also the best study of its subject available. Not only the specialist, but every reader who is interested in China or in literature will find it of interest. Hsia's astute insights and graceful writing make the book enjoyable as well as deeply edifying.

This is an illustrated cultural history of the emergence of modern literature in China from the late nineteenth century through the early years of the Chinese Republic, the 1930s and the war period, ending in 1949. Wu Fuhui takes an interdisciplinary approach to the topic, drawing in book production, translation, popular and elite texts, international influences and political history. Presented here in English translation for the first time, Wu argues that this was a transformative period in Chinese literature informed both by developments in China's domestic history and the dynamics of global circulation and encounter.

Featuring over 140 Chinese and non-Chinese contributors, this landmark volume, edited by David Der-wei Wang, explores unconventional forms as well as traditional genres, emphasizes Chinese authors’ influence on foreign writers as well as China’s receptivity to outside literary influences, and offers vibrant contrasting voices and points of view.

Lu Hsun, pioneer and standard-bearer of modern Chinese literature, wrote this book during the early twenties. It is a study of the historical development of Chinese fiction from early myths and legends down to well-developed long novels written at the end of the Ching Dynasty.The characteristics of various forms of fiction through the centuries, the development of these forms and their influence on each other are lucidly presented, while such major works as the novels Hung Lou Meng (A Dream of Red Mansions) and Shue Hu Chuan (Water Margin) are reviewed in detail.Chinese fiction had its roots in story telling, and the feudal ruling class despised folk literature of this kind. The May 4th Movement of 1919 dealt a mortal blow to the feudal forces in Chinese culture. Then the study of this form of literature began to make headway, Lu Hsun being one of the first to carry out research in this field.This book, the earliest systematic study of the history of Chinese fiction by a Chinese writer, still exercises a great influence among Chinese scholars.This English translation is illustrated with reproductions of early Chinese woodcuts.

The first English translation of one of the most authoritative and significant studies in the field of modern Chinese literature.