Interpretations of Asia

This book—written in one man’s eloquent voice—is testimony to his belief that the need for democratic reform has taken root among the Chinese people and that they will ultimately take steps to transform their nation.

The first Western scholar invited by a province to make such an extended visit, Ezra Vogel traveled to every prefecture in Guangdong and conducted hundreds of interviews to get a true picture of how post-Mao reforms are working. The result is a richly detailed study of a region on the cutting edge of socialist reform.

Leo Ou-fan Lee gives us a wide-angle view of Shanghai culture in the making. He shows us the architecture and urban spaces in which the new commercial culture flourished, then guides us through the publishing and filmmaking industries that nurtured a whole generation of artists and established a bold new style in urban life known as modeng.

The huaben, or vernacular story, was one of the richest, most varied, and appealing genres in Chinese literature, often reaching a larger audience than works in Classical Chinese. And yet because of its very popularity, the huaben was almost entirely disregarded by official society. Hanan brings this intriguing half-buried literature to light.