Worlds of Modern Chinese Fiction: Short Stories and Novellas from the People's Republic, Taiwan and Hong Kong

by Michael S. Duke

Overview

This book's pluralistic, non-dogmatic, and committed investigation of the values of ecological sustainability, economic justice, and human dignity provides balanced analysis of environmental problems and their potential solutions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780873327589
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/31/1991
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	990L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Blue Bottlecap, Shaogong Han, Michael S. Duke; Chapter 2 The General’s Monument, Dachun Zhang, Ying-tsih Hwang, John J. S. Balcom; Chapter 3 A Wordless Monument, Dianyun Qiao, Michael S. Duke; Chapter 4 The Hut on the Hill, Xue Can, Michael S. Duke; Chapter 5 White Dog and the Swings, Yan Mo, Michael S. Duke; Chapter 6 The Stream of Life, Feng Hong, Michael Day; Chapter 7 Lai Suo, Fan Huang, Eric B. Cohen; Chapter 8 Mountain Road, Yingzhen Chen, Rosemary Haddon; Chapter 9 Dream Scenario, Tiesheng Shi, Michael S. Duke; Chapter 10 The Conquerors, Xiguo Zhang, Ross Lonergan; Chapter 11 A Love Letter Never Sent, Ang Li, Howard Goldblatt; Chapter 12 A Woman Like Me, Xi Xi, Howard Goldblatt; Chapter 13 Reunion, Shuqing Shi, Jeanne Larsen; Chapter 14 A Place of One’s Own, Qiongqiong Yuan, Jane Parish Yang; Chapter 15 Green Sleeves, Xiaoyang Zhong, Michael S. Duke; Chapter 16 The Window, Ling Zhong, Wendy Larson; Chapter 17 My Son, Hansheng, Sa Xiao, Eve Markowitz; Chapter 18 Shangri-La, Zhenhe Wang, Michael S. Duke; Chapter 19 Number Nine Winch Handle Alley, Jiongong Chen, Michael Day; Chapter 20 Race Day, Luo Bai, Richard King; Chapter 21 Wrong Number, Yichang Liu, Michael S. Duke; Chapter 22 Night Revels, Xin Hai, Yaxing Gu; Chapter 23 Aunty Li’s Pocket Watch, Bingjun Liang, Kirk Anderson; Chapter 24 Mother Lode, Wanlong Zheng, Jeffrey C. Kinkley; Chapter 25 Dazzling Poma, Chengzhi Zhang, Steven L. Riep;

Editorial Reviews

The 25 stories and novellas in this collection are disappointing. This may be due in part to the different levels of skill among the translators. In ``A Wordless Monument,'' a story about the effects of the Cultural Revolution on a mainland village, the Chinese narrator sounds like an American cowboy when he says of the unreadable words on an official's gravestone, ``Could we eat 'em or drink 'em or make revolution with 'em?'' Indeed, although these writings convincingly evoke China's recent turbulent history, as well as conflicts between generations with diverging social values, many seem like awkward imitations of Western literature. Two stories, ``Mother Lode'' and ``Dazzling Poma,'' are examples of the genre known as Chinese westerns. The pieces that are more Oriental in tone ring truer and fresher, but their pace is sometimes slowed by political rhetoric. Finally, though several stories have humorous moments--``The General's Monument'' tells of a nationalist leader who ``secretly attends his own funeral'' and discovers he is more popular dead than alive--none are strong enough to fully engage readers. Duke is the author of The Iron House. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Grouped into the rather arbitrary categories of time and history, interpersonal relations and urban society, and life in the hinterlands, these 25 stories originally appeared in literary journals between 1978 and 1989. The 17 translators differ in skill and experience, imbuing each story with a distinct voice. The settings range from a remote section of the Taishan Mountains to the sophisticated hotels of Hong Kong, and from wartime to the present. Unusual in pulling together a sampling of outstanding writers from the three Chinas, the collection will leave readers used to romanizations in Taiwan or Hong Kong literature surprised to find pinyin throughout. Among the most memorable stories are Zhang Xiguo's engrossing ``The Conquerors.'' A few of the stories contain helpful notes; each has a publication note. Though high-priced in hardcover, this is a good selection for college and university libraries emphasizing multicultural and women's literature.-- D.E. Perushek, Univ. of Tennessee Libs., Knoxville

Library Journal