The Literary Field of Twentieth-Century China

This book is a collection of original essays on literary sociology that increases our understanding of modern China, its literature, and those who work in the field--authors, editors, and readers. The book is intended for upper undergraduate students and researchers of any level or background as it opens up new lines of theoretical inquiry and challenges conventional assumptions on the nature of writing and reading. The editor offers a much-needed and long-awaited breakthrough in modern Chinese literary studies. The essays examine the sociological background leading to the production and consumption of literary texts, not only shedding light on the meaning and structure of those texts but also adding to our knowledge of the society in which they were produced and consumed. This is achieved by the rigorous application of a single methodology, that of Pierre Bourdieu, in a manner unprecedented in modern Chinese literary studies.