A History of Chinese Literature in the Twentieth Century. Volume 1

Author: Wang Xiaoming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: This is the revised edition of A History of Twentieth-Century Chinese Literature. Since its publication by our press in 1997, the book has had a broad impact and has become a standard reference for researchers in related disciplines both at home and abroad, as well as a graduate textbook used by many universities. This revised edition includes significant integration and revisions to the original work. The eighty-two articles in the first edition have been reduced to twenty-eight; twenty-one new articles reflecting the latest achievements in academia have been added, accounting for over 40% of the revised volume, and the entire book has been condensed from four volumes and 1.5 million words to the current two volumes and 1 million words. As an edited collection of historical and critical essays, this book systematically compiles important research findings on twentieth-century Chinese literature from the 1980s to the present, showcasing the overall level and new directions of the discipline of modern and contemporary Chinese literature. All the selected essays have been rigorously vetted. They include reassessments of topics such as late Qing fiction, the May Fourth literary tradition, and the "Seventeen Years Literature," as well as comprehensive discussions on modernist literature in China and the "implicit writing" in contemporary literature. The essays examine both internal literary issues—such as the genres of fiction, poetry, prose, and drama, as well as literary translation and literary criticism—and the relationships between literature and society, literature and the city, and literature and other media. They feature in-depth explorations of major figures like Lu Xun and Cao Yu, as well as detailed analyses of renowned works such as The Family, Rickshaw Boy, and White-haired Girl. On an individual level, each essay presents rigorous, fresh arguments with strong intellectual depth and impact. As a whole, the collection covers a wide range of methodologies and styles in modern and contemporary Chinese literature research, offering ample inspiration and insights for disciplinary methodology.