This book consists of eight articles on Chinese literature, most of which have long been out of print. While in no sense a survey of Chinese literature, the content of the articles ranges from the Six Dynasties period (222-589 A.D.) to the seventeenth century and includes studies of poetry, prose styles, and colloquial fiction.

"... an important contribution to the study of recent Chinese literature." -- Choice "This fine, scholarly survey of Chinese literature since 1949... discusses such trends as modernism, nativism, realism, root-seeking and 'scar' literature, 'misty' poets, and political, feminist, and societal issues in modern Chinese literature." -- Library Journal This volume is a survey of modern Chinese literature in the second half of the twentieth century. It has three goals: (1) to introduce figures, works, movements, and debates that constitute the dynamics of Chinese literature from 1949 to the end of the century; (2) to depict the enunciative endeavors, ranging from ideological treatises to avant-garde experiments, that inform the polyphonic discourse of Chinese cultural politics; (3) to observe the historical factors that enacted the interplay of literary (post)modernities across the Chinese communities in the Mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and overseas.

This book presents a systematic elaboration on Chinese literature and its criticism, with special reference to introducing the predominant role of idea-image. The author holds that image takes on a central position in Chinese literature. Chinese literature is composed of idea-images that depict the scenery and express the emotions in perfect harmony, conveyed through literary language, reflecting the unique aesthetic sensibilities and the creative consciousness of Chinese people. It is created by Chinese literati with an emotion-centered soul, who experience nature and society with a mode of comprehension rooted in sensibility, yet not confined to it. Drawing from the traditional Chinese culture and incorporating the creative expression of Chinese literati, the author expounds systematically on Chinese literature’s basic features and living spirit which are centered on the idea-image. Furthermore, the author discusses the transitional patterns observed in both highbrow and vernacular Chinese literature. Embracing a modern research perspective, the author not only provides insights into traditional literature but also sheds light on its contemporary relevance. This endeavor unveils the unique values inherent in Chinese literature at a profound level, thereby offering invaluable insights into the essence and spirit of Chinese literary tradition.

The A to Z of Modern Chinese Literature presents a broad perspective on the development and history of literature in modern China. It offers a chronology, introduction, bibliography, and over 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on authors, literary and historical developments, trends, genres, and concepts that played a central role in the evolution of modern Chinese literature.