Changing Stories in the Chinese World

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This book innovatively explores the experience of being Chinese since the early nineteenth century, positing that lives are shaped by stories—both inherited and self-created. The author interprets significant narratives that have influenced Chinese lives over the past two centuries, revealing a complex historical tapestry rather than a singular Chinese identity. It begins with Li Ruzhen's *Destinies of the Flowers in the Mirror*, reflecting the educated Chinese world before major Western influences. In contrast, Zhang Yingchang's *Our Dynasty's Bell of Poesy* captures the lives of peasants, women, artisans, soldiers, and prisoners. The 1930s bestseller *Tides in the Human Sea* illustrates the 'crisis of absurdity' during the onset of modernization, where feelings clash with traditional behaviors. Hao Ran's *Children of the Western Sands*, a popular Communist work from the early 1970s, invites empathy for Maoist idealism. Sima Zhongyuan's *The Bastard* interprets the Communist revolution through traditional religious lenses, viewing it as a punishment for societal transgressions. Finally, Yuan Ze'nan's *A Commonplace Fellow* reflects on the fading of Chineseness in a Chinese-American context, exploring the nuances of cultural identity.