Family by Pa Chin, Ba Jin, Li Fei-kan, Olga Lang (intro); Sidney Shapiro (trans) - 1989

Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press, 1989. Trade Paperback. Good. Underlining and notes in both pencil and black ink. Spine straight and tight. Not from a library. 329 pages.
Translation from the Chinese of Jia. The first volume of the trilogy, Turbulent Stream. The first half of the twentieth century was a period of great turmoil in China. Family, one of the most popular Chinese novels of that time, vividly reflects that turmoil and serves as a basis for understanding what followed. Written in 1931, Family provides a superb portrayal of Chinese family life and society of its time. Drawn largely from Pa Chin's own experience, Family is the story of the Kao family compound, consisting of four generations plus servants. It is essentially a picture of the conflict between old China and the new tide rising to destroy it, as manifested in the daily lives of the Kao family, and particularly the three young Kao brothers. Here we see situations that, unique as they are to the time and place of this novel, recall many circumstances of today's world: the conflict between generations and classes, ill-fated love affairs, students' political activities, and the struggle for the liberation of women. The complex passions aroused in Family are an indication of the universality of human experience. This novel illustrates the effectiveness of fiction as a vehicle for translating the experience of one culture to another very different one.