A Critical History of Contemporary Chinese Fiction

This book studies the history of contemporary Chinese fiction criticism, highlighting the role of critics in shaping contemporary literary history.

The author divides the history of contemporary Chinese fiction criticism into three periods: 1949–1976, 1977–1991, and 1992–2015. The first period saw the emergence of the circle of critics who insisted on judging literary works by political standards. The second period brought the rise of the Beijing Critics’ Circle and the Shanghai Critics' Circle. The former advocated “artistic standards” in judging works, while the latter introduced contemporary Western literary theories into literary criticism. The third period marked the emergence of “Scholarly Criticism,” “Criticism of Women’s Fiction,” and “Post-1960s Fiction Criticism,” reflecting critics’ attitudes toward history and philosophy. Drawing on historical materials, this study illuminates contemporary literary trends and the contributions of key writers and critics. It also relates literary criticism to the social environment, underlining the simultaneous relationship between contemporary fiction criticism and social ideology.

This book will be invaluable to scholars and students of Chinese literature and literary criticism, especially those interested in the diverse landscape of contemporary Chinese culture.