Thirty Years of Modern Chinese Literature

Author: Qian Liqun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Contemporary literature is a temporal concept. In the historical narrative of this book, "modern literature" is also a concept that reveals the "modernity" of literature from this period. The so-called "modern literature" refers to "literature that expresses the thoughts, emotions, and psychology of modern Chinese people using modern literary language and forms." The revised edition of Thirty Years of Modern Chinese Literature, written by three scholars including Qian Liqun, has been listed as a key textbook for general higher education under the "Nineth Five-Year Plan" by the Ministry of Education. This nearly 600,000-word history of modern literature not only incorporates the achievements of previous research on writers, works, and literary genres but also overcomes the narrative models and narrow frameworks of past literary histories. It broadens the research scope and forms a unique and academically rich style under the theme of "literary modernization."
First, in terms of structure, the book is divided into three parts according to the historical period of 1917–1949, but it only briefly mentions the social and political situation of each era, focusing instead on explaining the important literary trends and phenomena of each stage. It analyzes the laws and characteristics of literature itself by examining the process of literary evolution and its historical connections. Although the book is also categorized by literary genre, it emphasizes the nature, development, and characteristics of different genres. It also dedicates special chapters to representative works that reached artistic peaks, each accompanied by a chronology. In its critiques of important writers, the book avoids listing the biographies of writers or lengthy retellings of plot details, instead emphasizing the artistic achievements and aesthetic value of their works, paying particular attention to analyzing the reasons behind their enduring influence. For example, in Chapter 2, "Lu Xun (I)," when discussing the structural patterns and profound implications of Lu Xun's novels, the book specifically highlights a section titled "Infinite Lu Xun," synthesizing recent academic discussions on the anthropological connotations of the "Aq Spirit."
The book also dedicates a chapter to Shen Congwen, expressing sympathy and understanding for this cultural figure who constructed the "Xiangxi World" and served as a critic of modern Chinese culture. These are aspects that were either absent or neglected in past literary histories. Regarding literary schools, the book not only emphasizes mainstream literature but also examines literary trends like the Beijing School, Shanghai School, New Sensibility School, and Avant-garde School from the perspectives of geography and cultural environment, striving to restore the vibrant and diverse nature of modern literature.