{"product_id":"humans-beasts-and-ghosts-stories-and-essays-paperback","title":"Humans, Beasts, and Ghosts: Stories and Essays - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eZhongshu Qian\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eChristopher G. Rea\u003c\/b\u003e (Editor), \u003cb\u003eDennis Hu\u003c\/b\u003e (With)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQian Zhongshu was one of twentieth-century China's most ingenious literary stylists, one whose insights into the ironies and travesties of modern China remain stunningly fresh. Between the early years of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and the Communist takeover in 1949, Qian wrote a brilliant series of short stories, essays, and a comedic novel that continue to inspire generations of Chinese readers. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith this long-awaited translation, English-language readers can immerse themselves in the invention and satirical wit of one of the world's great literary cosmopolitans. This collection brings together Qian's best short works, combining his iconoclastic essays on the \"book of life\" from \u003ci\u003eWritten in the Margins of Life\u003c\/i\u003e (1941) with the four masterful short stories of \u003ci\u003eHuman, Beast, Ghost\u003c\/i\u003e (1946). His essays elucidate substantive issues through deceptively simple subjects-the significance of windows versus doors, for example, or the blind spots of literary critics--and assert the primacy of critical and creative independence. His stories blur the boundaries between humans, beasts, and ghosts as they struggle through life, death, and resurrection. Christopher G. Rea situates these works within China's wartime politics and Qian's literary vision, highlighting significant changes that Qian Zhongshu made to different editions of his writings and providing unprecedented insight into the author's creative process.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQian Zhongshu (1910-1998), hailed as twentieth-century China's \"foremost man of letters,\" is best known for his novel, \u003ci\u003eFortress Besieged\u003c\/i\u003e, and his groundbreaking study of the Chinese literary canon, \u003ci\u003eLimited Views: Essays on Ideas and Letters\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eChristopher G. Rea is assistant professor of modern Chinese literature at the University of British Columbia.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 272\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.5 x 8.9 x 5.9 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 15, 2010\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51773412540704,"sku":"9780231152754","price":61.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/72af5e0742e47f3073959cba261cdd92_4a1ea545-484e-4001-9b3c-eff5f02e1385.webp?v=1780426499","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/humans-beasts-and-ghosts-stories-and-essays-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}