Among other Chinese writers of the 20th century, Pa Chin (the pen name of Li Yaotang) continues to be one of the most important. Born in the last few years of the Qing dynasty, Pa lived though a heady, transformative century for China, and transmuted much of what he saw into literary works with vivid characters and striking emotional power.
In China and in the West, Pa Chin's most famous work is arguably Family, a book about a wealthy family in China's south that gradually comes undone due to the pressures of a changing China. For readers who are beginning to learn more about China through its literature, or who would like to learn more about Pa in particular, Family stands out as one...
