History of Contemporary Chinese Literary Theory and Criticism (Mainland China, 1949-1989)

Author: Gu Yuanqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: Writing about contemporary Chinese history is difficult, and writing the history of contemporary Chinese literature is even harder. The history of contemporary Chinese literary theory and criticism is the hardest of all, the hardest to write. Mr. Gu Yuanqing seems to have deliberately taken on the challenge of confronting history head-on. He has chosen to tackle the hardest task. The large book now before me is the result of his determination and over a decade of relentless effort.
The history of contemporary China is turbulent and ever-changing, making it hard to grasp. What makes it even more challenging is that the subjects of discussion are still around, and no matter how one presents them, they are bound to draw controversy. As for contemporary literature, its situation is even more difficult and subtle, primarily because politics has tied it too tightly. To study the history of contemporary literature, one must extensively engage with politics and ideology. To talk about literature without discussing politics is to fail to understand it clearly. Some people like to talk about "pure literature," but what they really don't understand is the historical reality of contemporary Chinese literature. Here, literature has never been "pure." Before we study literature, we must first clarify the political context, then understand the relationship between politics and literature, and only then can we focus on literature itself. You can imagine how troublesome it is to write such a literary history!
This book includes chapters such as: Alienation between Political Repression and Literary Debates, A Flourishing Aesthetic Field, Rising in the Midst of Deinstitutionalization, Fiction Criticism Based on Realism, Poetry Criticism Under the Shadow of Ode and Battle Song, Emerging from Confusion, Continuous Expansion and Choice, and a Diversified World of Fiction Theory and Criticism.