Bilingual Series on Modern Chinese Literature – Serie

This bilingual edition in Chinese and English contains some of Xiao Hong's most famous short stories, such as: ""On the Oxcart"", ""Spring in a Small Town"", ""The Family Outsider"", ""Flight from Danger"", ""Vague Expectations"", ""The Bridge"" and ""Hands"" . Xiao Hong died in 1942 at the age of only 31, but she has written many other works including novels, essays and poetry. These short stories were translated by Howard Goldblatt, who has also written a biography of Xiao Hong.

Camel Xiangzi not only marks the peak of Lao She's career as a professional writer, but it also registers a new approach to the representation of China in its absurdist situation. The novel shows Lao She at his best the work of a mature writer, who excels in his mastery of narrative techniques, as well as his prophetic vision of the future of China. For this reason, it can be read as an ""epic"" of modern China.

Liang Shih-chiu (1903–1987), a literary critic and theorist of many talents, was the first person to translate the complete works of Shakespeare into Chinese. Literary historians remember him chiefly for his conservative leanings and his infamous "war of words" with Lu Xun, the acknowledged leader of leftist writers in the 1930s. From a Cottager's Sketchbook highlights Liang's versatility and literary style. The essays deal with familiar and timeless topics, tempering social satire of postwar China with light humor. At a time when the common cry was "to write as one would speak," and a battle line was drawn between vernacular and classical linguistics, Liang skillfully blended the two.