ABSTRACT
Yan Lianke is one of the most important, prolific, and controversial writers in contemporary China.
At the forefront of the “mythorealist” Chinese avant-garde and using absurdist humor and grotesque satire, Yan’s works have caught much critical attention not only in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan but also around the world. His critiques of modern China under both Mao-era socialism and contemporary capitalism draw on a deep knowledge of history, folklore, and spirituality.
This companion presents a collection of critical essays by leading scholars of Yan Lianke from around the world, organized into some of the key themes of his work: Mythorealism; Absurdity and Spirituality; and History and Gender, as well as the challenges of translating his work into English and other languages. With an essay written by Yan Lianke himself, this is a vital and authoritative resource for students and scholars looking to understand Yan’s works from both his own perspective and those of leading critics.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|90 pages
Mythorealism and censorship
chapter 2|12 pages
Building Chinese Reality With Language and Metaphor
chapter 3|9 pages
Mythorealism, the Absurd, and Existential Despair in Yan Lianke's Memoir and Fiction
chapter 5|21 pages
Mythorealism or Pararealism?
part II|126 pages
Absurdity and spirituality
chapter 927|11 pages
The Absurd as Method
chapter 11|17 pages
Representing the Intellectuals in Yan Lianke's Recent Writing
chapter 14|18 pages
The Redemption of the Peach Blossom Spring
part III|122 pages
History and gender
chapter 21815|19 pages
Creating a Literary Space to Debate the Mao Era
chapter 17|16 pages
Corrective Catachresis
chapter 20|13 pages
A Geocritical Study of Yan Lianke's Balou Mountain Stories
chapter 22|18 pages
Paratextual Encounters in Yan Lianke's Fictional Worlds
part IV|167 pages
Translation and reception