Chinese Literature

Chinese literature has a long, distinctive history and has played an important part in shaping the cultural identity of the Chinese people. This literature provides a window into human relationships, society, politics, spirituality and philosophy at any given time in China's history. This accessible, illustrated introduction takes the reader through the rich Chinese literary tradition from ancient times to the twentieth century, exploring poetry, opera, drama, novels, short stories, the modern media and the authors who created these cultural treasures.Foreword; Part I. Ancient Chinese Literature: 1. The book of songs: the earliest anthology of poetry; 2. Prose writing during the spring and autumn and warring states periods; 3. Qu Yuan: a romantic lyricist; 4. Records of the historians; 5. Literature in the Wei and Jin period; 6. Li Bai and Du Fu: the two summits of Tang poetry; 7. Ci poetry: poems to be sung; 8. Yuan opera: Guan Hanqing and Wang Shifu; Classical fiction in the Ming Dynasty: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Outlaws of the Marsh and Journey to the West; 9. Short stories of the Qing Dynasty; 10. A dream of red mansions: the pinnacle of Classical literature; Part II. Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature: 11. Lu Xun: founder of new vernacular literature; 12. Modern fiction: echo of the times; 13. New poetry finding a voice of their own; 14. Modern drama; 15. Literature in the new era; 16. Literature today; Appendix: chronological table of the Chinese dynasties.