The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century
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''The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century'' is a 1980 book edited by Milena Doleželová-Velingerová, published by the
University of Toronto Press The University of Toronto Press is a Canadian university press founded in 1901. Although it was founded in 1901, the press did not actually publish any books until 1911. The press originally printed only examination books and the university calen ...
. It was the first book that had been written in a Western language that chronicled fiction published in the final 15 years of the
Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
,
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, p. 352
from 1897 to 1910.''
Poetics Today ''Poetics Today: International Journal for Theory and Analysis of Literature and Communication'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of poetics. The editors-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chi ...
'', p. 191.


Development

The book was created by a
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
joint research seminar about late Qing fiction that began in 1971.


Content

The front page of the November 10, 1897 '' Guowen Bao'', a newspaper from
Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
, is used as the front cover of the book. In that issue, the editors of the paper,
Yan Fu Yan Fu (, IPA: ; courtesy name: Ji Dao, ; 8 January 1854 — 27 October 1921) was a Chinese military officer, newspaper editor, translator, and writer. He was most famous for introducing western ideas, including Darwin's "natural selection", t ...
(a.k.a. Yen Fu) and Xia Zengyou, posted an announcement that the newspaper's literary supplement was beginning.Hegel, p. 189. The book includes a total of nine essays.Liu, p. 183. The essays discuss critical theories and historical significance of various works. Cordell D.K. Yee's review noted that the conventional viewpoint regarding Qing Dynasty novels was that they were "loosely plotted, consisting of episodes simply strung together."Yee, p. 574. Many of the authors of the pieces in this book argued that previous critics of late Qing Dynasty works, such as
Lu Xun Zhou Shuren (25 September 1881 – 19 October 1936), better known by his pen name Lu Xun (or Lu Sun; ; Wade–Giles: Lu Hsün), was a Chinese writer, essayist, poet, and literary critic. He was a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. W ...
and
Hu Shih Hu Shih (; 17 December 1891 – 24 February 1962), also known as Hu Suh in early references, was a Chinese diplomat, essayist, literary scholar, philosopher, and politician. Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese libera ...
, did not grasp the formal sophistication present in the works. Contributors argue that novels belong to specific organizing principles and discuss the structure of the works. They believe that the authors had a higher consciousness of structure than previous analyses had concluded. Three essays are included in the first portion of the book.
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, p. 353
"The Rise of 'New Fiction'", by Shu-ying Tsau discusses essays by Yan Fu,
Liang Qichao Liang Qichao (Chinese: 梁啓超 ; Wade–Giles, Wade-Giles: ''Liang2 Chʻi3-chʻao1''; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Lèuhng Kái-chīu'') (February 23, 1873 – January 19, 1929) was a Chinese politician, social and political act ...
(Liang Ch'i-ch'ao), and other intellectuals which advocated for fiction that called for modernization, since the authors believed fiction had the ability to influence minds of people. The other essays, "Typology of Plot Structures in Late Qing Novels" and "Narrative Modes in Late Qing Novels," were written by the book's editor. In the first essay she discusses different plot structures in Qing Dynasty novels, including ''
Bizarre Happenings Eyewitnessed over Two Decades ''Bizarre Happenings Eyewitnessed over Two Decades'' (T: 二十年目睹之怪現狀, S: 二十年目睹之怪现状, P: ''Èrshí Nián Mùdǔzhī Guài Xiànzhuàng'', W: ''Erh-shih nien mu-tu-chih kuai hsien-chuang'', also translated as: "Str ...
'' by
Wu Jianren Wu Jianren (T: 吳趼人, S: 吴趼人, P: ''Wú Jiǎnrén'', W: ''Wu Chien-jen''; 1866–1910), also known as Wu Woyao (T: 吳沃堯, S: 吴沃尧, P: ''Wú Wòyáo'', W: ''Wu Wo-yao'') was a Chinese writer of the late Qing period. Novels of th ...
(Wu Woyao). Her second essay discusses three narrative modes in the novels. Chapters about specific late Qing works make up the second half of the book. Robert E. Hegel's review states that each essay in the second portion "breaks new ground by presenting in English an intelligent discussion either of a previously overlooked work or of a new approach to one better known". After the editor, Donald Holoch is the second largest contributor to the work. His essay, "A Novel of Setting: ''The Bureaucrats''", concerns
Li Baojia Li Baojia (), courtesy name (zi) Li Boyuan (; 1867-1906PL, p547), art name nickname (hao) Nanting tingzhang () was a Qing Dynasty-era Chinese author. He was a writer, essayist, ballad author, poet, calligrapher, and seal carver. He edited a fiction ...
's (Li Boyuan) ''
Officialdom Unmasked ''Officialdom Unmasked'' (), is a late-Qing Chinese novel by Li Baojia (Li Boyuan). The theme of the work is the disintegration of the late Qing dynasty civil service bureaucracy as it is deteriorating.Holoch, p. 77. The novel was translated to ...
'', and his "The Travels of Laocan: Allegorical Narrative" concerns ''
The Travels of Lao Can ''The Travels of Lao Can'' () is a novel by Liu E (1857-1909), written between 1903 and 1904 and published in 1907 to wide acclaim. Thinly disguising his own views in those of Lao Can, the physician hero, Liu describes the rise of the Boxers in ...
'' by Liu E (Liu O). Next is Gilbert Chu Fu Fong, "Time in ''Nine Murders'': Western Influence and Domestic Tradition" about '' Jiuming Qiyuan'' by Wu Jianren, followed by Michael Egan, "Characterization in ''Sea of Woe''" concerning ''
Henhai ''Sea of Regret'' or ''The Sea of Regret'' () is a 1906 novel in 10 chapters by Wu Jianren (Wu Woyao). Set in the turmoil surrounding the Boxer Uprising of 1900, the plot involves two couples, whose arranged marriages cannot be completed. The h ...
'' ("Sea of Woe"), also by Wu Jianren. Peter Li wrote "The Dramatic Structure of ''Niehai Hua''" about '' Niehai Hua'' by
Jin Tianhe Jin Tianhe (Chinese: 金天翮; 18731947) was a scholar, poet, politician, and writer from the Anhui Province. Jin Tianhe is most well-known for publishing the first Chinese feminist manifesto, ''The Women's Bell''. Other popular works include ''Ji ...
and
Zeng Pu Zeng Pu (; 1872-1935Idema, p387) was a Chinese novelist. Zeng Pu published a scholarly work on the later Han Dynasty in 1895. He later enrolled in the College of Foreign Languages in Beijing to learn the French language. Zeng Pu returned to Jia ...
. Jean Duval wrote ''
The Nine-Tailed Turtle ''The Nine-tailed Turtle'' (, also translated as ''Nine-tailed Turtles'', ''Nine-headed Turtle'', or ''Nine-times Cuckold'') is a novel by (?-1935), an author from Piling (near modern-day Changzhou). The novel centres around the life of a scholar ...
'': Pornography or 'Fiction of Exposure'" about ''The Nine-Tailed Turtle'' by (T: 張春帆, S: 张春帆, Pinyin: ''Zhāng Chūnfān'', Wade-Giles: ''Chang Ch'un-fan'').
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, p. 354
The book includes illustrations of the covers of several works. They include a 1903 issue of '' Xiuxiang xiaoshuo'' (T: 繡像小說, S: 绣像小说, P: ''Xiùxiàng xiǎoshuō'', W: ''Hsiu-hsiang Hsiao-shuo''; "Illustrated Fiction" or "Fiction Illustrated"), the first edition of the novel ''
Wenming Xiaoshi ''Wenming Xiaoshi'' (), translated into English as ''Modern Times'', is a novel by Li Baojia (Li Boyuan). The novel is a satire of pseudo-reformers in the Qing Dynasty period who found difficulty adjusting to modernization, including its complexi ...
'' by Li Baojia, and the cover of ''Hen hai''. The book concludes with biographies of five novelists from the late Qing era with sources cited, a bibliography of materials in Chinese history and literary theory related to fiction in the late Qing era, and a glossary covering names, titles, and terms.


Reception

W. L. Idema Wilt L. Idema (born 12 November 1944) is a Dutch scholar and Sinologist who taught at University of Leiden and Harvard University (2000-13), presently emeritus at both universities. He specializes in Chinese literature, with interests in early ...
wrote in ''
T'oung Pao ''T’oung Pao'' (; ), founded in 1890, is a Dutch journal and the oldest international journal of sinology. It is published by the publisher E. J. Brill. ''T'oung Paos original full title was ''T’oung Pao ou Archives pour servir à l’étud ...
'' that the book is "beautifully executed, befitting the quality of its contents."
Idema Advanced Format (AF) is any disk sector format used to store data on magnetic disks in hard disk drives (HDDs) that exceeds 512, 520, or 528 bytes per sector, such as the 4096, 4112, 4160, and 4224-byte (4  KB) sectors of an Advanced Format ...
, p. 355
Yin C. Liu wrote in ''
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies Bulletin or The Bulletin may refer to: Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals) * Bulletin (online newspaper), a Swedish online newspaper * ''The Bulletin'' (Australian periodical), an Australian magazine (1880–2008) ** Bulletin Debate, ...
'' that "Altogether this book is an interesting and worthy addition to the reference shelf." Liu argued that "The scholarliness and thoughtfulness of the editor ..ermeates the whole book, and in particular, her own contributions". Robert E. Hegel wrote that the editor "has extended a much needed and very welcome 'boost up' to the study of late Qing fiction and has helped to demonstrate something of the literary treasures to be found there." Bruce Doar wrote that the "handsomely packaged collection of studies" had an "excellent bibliography" and "high quality illustrations" and that it was "an indispensable reference work not only for students of late Qing literature but 20th century Chinese literature in general." Richard John Lynn in ''
Pacific Affairs ''Pacific Affairs'' (''PA'') is a Canadian peer-reviewed scholarly journal that publishes academic research on contemporary political, economic, and social issues in Asia and the Pacific. The journal was founded in 1926 as the newsletter for the ...
'' argued that the editor correctly stated that traditional times had major evolutionary processes that lead to the modern period but that the editor and the authors had not "realized the full extent of this interaction and influence" and that he believed they did not "entirely emancipated themselves from the limitations of May Fourth iconoclasm." Lynn argued that even with his critiques, "there is no doubt that this is a very significant contribution to the study of Chinese fiction" and he praised the editor and authors for "presenting a new and challenging look at the premodern-modern watershed in Chinese literary history".Lynn, p. 543. Cordell D. K. Yee in ''
Journal of Asian Studies ''The Journal of Asian Studies'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Association for Asian Studies, covering Asian studies, ranging from history, the arts, social sciences, to phil ...
'' argued that the essays had "various degrees of persuasiveness". Yee argued that "the hypothesis that Late Qing novels exerted as great an influence on May Fourth fiction as Western works did awaits further proof." He also stated that seven of the nine articles "generally do not challenge the received interpretations (from critics like A Ying,
Lu Xun Zhou Shuren (25 September 1881 – 19 October 1936), better known by his pen name Lu Xun (or Lu Sun; ; Wade–Giles: Lu Hsün), was a Chinese writer, essayist, poet, and literary critic. He was a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. W ...
, and
Hu Shih Hu Shih (; 17 December 1891 – 24 February 1962), also known as Hu Suh in early references, was a Chinese diplomat, essayist, literary scholar, philosopher, and politician. Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese libera ...
) of late Qing fiction as "novels of exposure" (''qianze xiaoshuo''), which depict political and social decay." Yee concluded that the work was "a useful beginning" for examining late Qing fiction.


See also

* ''
Fin-de-Siècle Splendor ''Fin-de-Siècle Splendor: Repressed Modernities of Late Qing Fiction, 1848-1911'' is a 1997 non-fiction book by David Der-Wei Wang, published by Stanford University Press. David Wang's thesis is that modernity was already beginning to appear in fi ...
''


References

* Doar, Bruce. "The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century" (book review). ''
The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', , 01/1982, Issue 7, pp. 199 – 201
Available on
JSTOR JSTOR (; short for ''Journal Storage'') is a digital library founded in 1995 in New York City. Originally containing digitized back issues of academic journals, it now encompasses books and other primary sources as well as current issues of j ...
) * Hegel, Robert E. "The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century" (book review). '' Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews'' (CLEAR), , 07/1983, Volume 5, Issue 1/2, pp. 188 – 191 * Idema, W. L. "The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century" (book review). ''
T'oung Pao ''T’oung Pao'' (; ), founded in 1890, is a Dutch journal and the oldest international journal of sinology. It is published by the publisher E. J. Brill. ''T'oung Paos original full title was ''T’oung Pao ou Archives pour servir à l’étud ...
'', , 01/1982, Volume 68, Issue 4/5, pp. 352 – 355 * Liu, Yin C. "The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century" (book review). ''
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies Bulletin or The Bulletin may refer to: Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals) * Bulletin (online newspaper), a Swedish online newspaper * ''The Bulletin'' (Australian periodical), an Australian magazine (1880–2008) ** Bulletin Debate, ...
'', University of London, , 01/1983, Volume 46, Issue 1, p. 183
DOI 10.1017/S0041977X00077909
* Lynn, Richard John. "The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century" (book review). ''
Pacific Affairs ''Pacific Affairs'' (''PA'') is a Canadian peer-reviewed scholarly journal that publishes academic research on contemporary political, economic, and social issues in Asia and the Pacific. The journal was founded in 1926 as the newsletter for the ...
'', , 10/1983, Volume 56, Issue 3, pp. 542 – 543.
DOI 10.2307/2758214
* "The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century" (book review). ''
Poetics Today ''Poetics Today: International Journal for Theory and Analysis of Literature and Communication'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of poetics. The editors-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chi ...
'', , 10/1982, Volume 3, Issue 4, p. 191 * Yee, Cordell D. K. "The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century" (book review). ''
Journal of Asian Studies ''The Journal of Asian Studies'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Association for Asian Studies, covering Asian studies, ranging from history, the arts, social sciences, to phil ...
'', , 05/1982, Volume 41, Issue 3, p. 574
DOI 10.2307/2055256


Notes


Further reading

* "The Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century" (book review). ''
The Journal of Asian Studies ''The Journal of Asian Studies'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Association for Asian Studies, covering Asian studies, ranging from history, the arts, social sciences, to phil ...
'', , 05/1982, Volume 41, Issue 3, pp. 574 – 575 {{DEFAULTSORT:Chinese Novel at the Turn of the Century 1980 non-fiction books University of Toronto * Essay anthologies Essays about literature Canadian essays