BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EAST ASIAN LITERATURE 101: CHINA

Book recommendations from East Asian literature are from China this week. China is one of the East Asian countries which has an enormously rich culture. From its delicious noodles to its long history, it is known to be an one of a kind country that has an influence on all around the world. Therefore, at least people can get acquainted with its literature so that East Asian countries may be understood in a comprehensive way. So, in this article, some books from Chinese literature will be introduced.

Credit (Yan, M. (1986). The first edition cover of Red Sorghum [Photograph ])

This novel was published in 1986 (Wikipedia, 2000). Then, the author of the book, Mo Yan, won Nobel Prize in 2012 thanks to his classic family novel Red Sorghum (McCormack, 2017). The story begins in 1923 and ends in 1976 which follows three generations of the Shandong family (McCormack, 2017). At first, the family start as winegrower, and then they gradually become resistance fighters. This book mentions the Cultural Revolution of China and shifting relationships between China and Japan (McCormack, 2017).

Credit (Jin, H. (2017). Front cover of Waiting [Photograph])

Credit (Baozhuan, X. (1791). A scene from Dream of the Red Chamber[Photograph])

“Dream of the Red Chamber”, also known as “The Story of the Stone”, was written by Cao Xueqin in the middle of the 18th century (Wikipedia, 2021). It mentions a romantic rivalry and a friendship among three characters against their families’ regressing conditions (Wikipedia, 2021). Apart from that, the novel also involves multiple social and political issues such as the feudal law, patriarchal system, women, ethics and marriage (China Whisper, 2015). Dream of the Red Chamber is regarded as the encyclopedia of the social life of the late feudal society in China (China Whisper, 2015).

Credit (Sue, C. (2002). The cover of Beijing Doll [Photograph])

5. Factory Girls by Leslie T. Chang

Credit (Chang, L. (2008). The cover of Factory Girls by Leslie Chang [Photograph])

China has 130 million migrant workers and this situation makes the country host the largest migration in human history. Those workers, who leave their rural towns to find jobs in China’s cities, are the driving force behind China’s growing economy but little is known about their daily lives or the sociological importance of this giant movement (Spiegel & Grau, 2008). Factory Girls was written by Leslie T. Chang, and it refers to a story of migrant workers primarily through the lives of two women. The author keeps track of their way of achieving things and getting promoted during 3 years in Dongguan which is an industrial city in China’s Pearl River Delta (Penguin Random House Editors, n.d.).

In conclusion, China has an influence regionally and globally. Thus, its culture definitely needs to be explored in a closer way so that East Asian countries and their interstate relations can be understood better. So, people can have a look at these book recommendations that belong to Chinese literature, and this may help readers find out the actions of China towards the world in a comprehensive way.

WORK CITED

McCormack, J. W. (2017). “These Are the Best Modern Chinese Novels Available in English” Culture Trip. Available at https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/these-are-the-best-modern-chinese-novels-available-in-english/

Wikipedia (2021). “Red Sorghum (novel)” Wikipedia. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sorghum_(novel)#cite_ref-2

China Whisper Editors (2015). “10 Best Chinese Classic Novels of All Time”. China Whisper. Available at www.chinawhisper.com/10-best-chinese-classic-novels-of-all-time/

Wikipedia (2021). “Dream of the Red Chamber” Wikipedia. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber

Penguin Random House Editors (n.d). “10 Books to Understand China” Penguin Random House. Available at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/books-to-understand-china

Spiegel & Grau (2008). “Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China” Good Reads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2635587-factory-girls