The Literature of China in the Twentieth Century

In this ground-breaking book, Bonnie S. McDougall and Kam Louie present the first comprehensive, integrated survey of twentieth-century Chinese literature. "The Literature of China in the Twentieth Century" traces the development of Chinese literature from the Boxer Rebellion, when the strains of Western influence first emerged, to the Tiananmen Massacre, when dissident poets, such as Bei Dao, earned international acclaim and indefinite exile from the mainland.

Each of the book's three chronological sections contains individual chapters examining the poetry, drama, and fiction of the period and includes an introduction outlining the historical and social context of the individual writers and their works. By analyzing this captivating literary tradition in terms of subject, theme, language, structure, style, intended audience, and cultural impact, the authors present a vivid picture of this important literature and a unique window on twentieth-century Chinese society.

Bonnie S. McDougall is professor of Chinese at Edinburgh University and translator of many works of poetry and fiction. She is the author of a number of books, including The Yellow Earth: A Film by Chen Kaige with a Complete Transcript of the Film.Kam Louie is professor of Chinese at the University of Queensland and author of a number of books on Chinese literature and culture. He is coauthor of The Politics of Chinese Language and Culture and editor of Asian Studies Review.