Lu Hsun

LU HSUN (1881–1936) wrote short stories, classical and modern poetry, and fifteen volumes of occasional essays, all of which are stamped with his distinctive, corrosive wit. He is the acknowledged founder of baihua literature, or vernacular Chinese writing. Hsun held strong leftist ideals, fiercely criticizing much of Chinese society and what he saw as a pervasive apathy. Consequently, his works were fundamental to the May Fourth Movement, convincing many to join and prompting the title “commander of China's cultural revolution” by Mao Tse-Tung. His most famous books are The True Story of Ah Q and Kuangren Riji, a fiery criticism of Chinese tradition.

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  • The Power of Weakness
  • Ding Ling
    Lu Hsun