Bernard Shaw and China: Cross-Cultural Encounters

Kay Li
Forewords by Stanley and Rodelle Weintraub and R. F. Dietrich, Series Editor

Details: 320 pages 6 x 9
Cloth: $59.95 ISBN 13: 978-0-8130-3085-2
Pubdate: 10/14/2007
Series: The Florida Bernard Shaw Series
Review(s): 4 available

Cloth:

Overview

"Provides an inside view of the Chinese response to Shaw during the twentieth century by contextualizing and translating numerous Chinese comments on Shaw, and putting those views into the framework of Chinese culture and politics. Intriguingly, she traces as well the lasting impact of Chinese culture on Shaw."--Sally Peters, UCLA Extension Writers' Program

"This is not a marginal topic in modern Chinese literary studies, as Shaw is among a handful of Westerners who had a following and a sustained impact--in short, a meaningful presence--in the development of modern Chinese literature"--Xudong Zhang, New York University

Bernard Shaw "traveled" to China in three respects: publication of his work, theater production of it, and his actual passage in 1933. The first Chinese performances of Shaw's plays have long been regarded as failures, but Kay Li presents evidence from correspondence and from rare newspaper reports that reveals these early productions could be regarded as qualified successes and brave endeavors.

A native Chinese speaker, Li examines the interactions between Shaw and his Chinese audience, readers, and translators and shows how young Chinese intellectuals of the time made use of the performances to help shape Chinese identity. Shaw's work and his visit itself--the presence of an esteemed Nobel laureate--allowed them to advance the cause of Chinese nationalism, advocate for the modernization of society, and push China closer to the main currents of world culture.

Kay Li is research associate at the Asian Institute, Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto.