Advanced Reader of Contemporary Chinese Short Stories: Reflections on Humanity [Paperback]

Ying Wang (Editor), Carrie E. Reed (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0295983655 | ISBN-13: 978-0295983653 | Publication Date: February 2004 | Edition: Bilingual

This reader for advanced students of Chinese presents ten post-1990 short stories by prominent writers such as Su Tong and Yu Hua, whose novels "Raise the Red Lantern and To Live" served as the basis for internationally acclaimed films. With its captivating content dealing with current social issues, it fills a gap in the literature for advanced language students who are eager to read extensively in "real" literature. Vocabulary lists free the student from the chore of constantly consulting a dictionary while reading, grammar and usage examples highlight new patterns, and questions for discussion explore the literary content. This all-fiction collection of contemporary works can be used as a text in language or literature courses or can be read independently.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The stories, all published after 1990, reflect the zeitgeist of contemporary China." -- Shuhui Yang, Bates College

About the Author

Ying Wang, assistant professor of Chinese at Mount Holyoke College, is a coeditor of Literature and Society: Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese. Carrie E. Reed, associate professor of Chinese at Middlebury College, is a coauthor of Xiàoyuén Hànyu / Speaking Chinese on Campus: A Textbook for Intermediate Chinese Courses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 299 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr; Bilingual edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295983655
• ISBN-13: 978-0295983653
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #793,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best. Chinese. Textbook. EVER!, November 1, 2009

By 

Lindsey "Lindsey" (Valencia, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Reader of Contemporary Chinese Short Stories: Reflections on Humanity (Paperback)

I have been studying Chinese at the college level, both in the US and in China, for about 5 years now, and this is by far my favorite Chinese textbook. The book is composed of real, honest-to-goodness modern literature, and the vocabulary lists make reading the stories undaunting and feasible. This textbook's authors selected works from a nice variety of writers, so many voices are represented. This book is appropriate for high intermediate and advanced students who can already recognize a healthy amount of Chinese characters, though the vocab lists will really help you if you're struggling with character recognition. I completely, 100% recommend this book to anyone who wants to read "real" modern Chinese literature without having to spend tons of time looking up new characters.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Stories at the RIght Level, February 25, 2011

By 

D. Martindale (DPO, AP United States (Beijing,China)) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Advanced Reader of Contemporary Chinese Short Stories: Reflections on Humanity (Paperback)

I like the selection of stories and they are at about the right level for me with enough words on the included vocab lists to mean I seldom have to look up a word but not such long lists I need to pour through common words on the list to find the one I need, unlike the massively long lists in Anything Goes: An Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese (Princeton Language Program: Modern Chinese). It is hard to find good books at this intermediate to advanced level. Reflections on Humanity is one of the good ones.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book but..., January 12, 2006

By 

AndrejS (Slovenia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Reader of Contemporary Chinese Short Stories: Reflections on Humanity (Paperback)

I don't like some of the stories being "tampered with" - the authors have abridged and simplified them. This may be OK for the target audience (students) but I would still prefer to enjoy these stories in their original form...