Books by Ellen Widmer

What do Chinese literature and film inspired by the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) have in common with media of the May Fourth movement (1918-1930)? This book demonstrates several shared aims: to liberate narrative arts from aesthetic orthodoxies, to draw on foreign sources for inspiration, and to free individuals from social conformity.

This study of Chinese women in the book trade begins with three case studies, each of which probes one facet of the relationship between women and fiction in the early 19th century. Building on these studies, the second half of the book focuses on the many sequels to the Dream of the Red Chamber and the significance of this novel for women.