The Complete Works of Lao She · Volume 5 · Professor Wen · Metamorphosis · Cremation: Professor Wen · Metamorphosis · Cremation

Author: Lao She
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The Complete Novels of Lao She was compiled by Lao She's daughter, Shu Ji, and son, Shu Yi. The current edition of The Complete Novels of Lao She consists of 11 volumes, encompassing all of Lao She's long, medium, and short stories created throughout his life. It includes 18 long novels, 1 medium novel, 5 short story collections, and 26 short stories outside the collections (including 7 newly added short stories). When the novels were included in the Complete Collection, they were meticulously proofread based on their original editions or the newspapers where they were first published.
Volume 1 includes Lao She's two long novels, The Philosophy of Old Zhang and Zhao Ziyu, with The Philosophy of Old Zhang being his first long novel. These two novels were written between 1925-1926 and in London in 1926, respectively.
Volume 2 includes the long novel Two Horses and the medium fairy tale The Birthday of Xiao Po, which reflects the awakening of oppressed peoples.
Volume 3 includes the two long novels The Cat City Chronicle and Divorce.
Volume 4 includes the three long novels The Biography of Niu Tianxi, The Substitute for the Heavenly Book, and Rickshaw Boy. Rickshaw Boy is an outstanding long novel from 1930s China and one of the most significant achievements in modern Chinese literature. It solidified Lao She's important position in the history of modern Chinese literature.
Volume 5 includes the three long novels The Doctor Wen, Transformation, and Cremation.
The trilogy Four Generations Under One Roof, which depicts the suffering and resistance of people from all strata in Beijing after its occupation, is divided into Confusion, Survival, and Famine, and is included in Volumes 6, 7, and 8, respectively. Volume 8 also includes Lao She's unfinished autobiographical long novel Under the Red Flag and Autobiography of a Small Person.
Volume 9 includes the two long novels The Storyteller and A Nameless Hill Became Famous, which depict the struggles of traditional artists seeking a new life amid the anti-Japanese storm and the battles of the Volunteer Army during the Korean War.
Volume 10 includes the three short story collections The Collection of Gatherings, The Sea of Cherry Blossoms, and The Collection of Clams.
Volume 11 includes the two short story collections The Collection of Trains and The Collection of Anemia, along with 26 short stories outside the collections.
At the same time, Ms. Shu Ji has revised the concise chronology of Lao She's life. Compared to the original edition 11 years ago, the revised edition of The Complete Novels of Lao She is more comprehensive, perfect, and authoritative. This magnificent 11-volume masterpiece not only plays an important role in the study of modern Chinese literature but also allows a broad readership, especially young readers, to fully understand and appreciate Lao She's position in the history of modern Chinese literature and his contributions to the development of 20th-century Chinese humor literature.