Skip to main contentSkip to Xpert Chatbot

HarvardX: ChinaX Book Club: Five Authors, Five Books, Five Views of China

An exploration of the dynamics of contemporary China using the tools of close reading, discussion, and analysis.

ChinaX Book Club: Five Authors, Five Books, Five Views of China
5 weeks
1–2 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
Free
Optional upgrade available

There is one session available:

12,715 already enrolled! After a course session ends, it will be archivedOpens in a new tab.
Starts Nov 21
Enroll
ChinaX Book Club: Five Authors, Five Books, Five Views of China

About this course

Skip About this course

How can literature and literary analysis allow us to understand the dynamics of contemporary China? ****

China’s historical and cultural transformations, and its imaginary and actual engagements in everyday life are vividly dramatized by five Chinese authors featured in this course. Taught by Harvard faculty member Professor David Wang, this course will employ the tools of close reading, discussion, and analysis to explore issues that concern the Chinese people, and ponder the power (and limitations) of literature in imagining China anew.

Featured Books and Authors ****

  • China in 10 Words by Yu Hua (ISBN: 978-0-307-73979-7)

  • Red Sorghum: A Novel of China by Mo Yan (ISBN: 978-0-14-016854-9)

  • Lenin's Kisses by Yan Lianke (ISBN: 978-0-8021-2177-6)

  • Waiting by Ha Jin (ISBN: 978-0-375-70641-7)

  • The Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Wang Anyi (ISBN: 978-0231143431)

This course features interviews and discussions with the authors. More Information about each of these authors is available in the syllabus.

At a glance

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Literary Studies

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn

  • Survey the transformation of contemporary Chinese literature through direct engagement with five books and author interviews

  • Explore contemporary China from a range of perspectives including politics, ethics, culture, and gender

  • Understand how literature (particularly in the context of China) can become a source of political intervention and articulate tensions between authoritarianism and individual freedom.

  • Develop your own approaches to modern literature, culture, and history via close reading, critical discussion, and analysis

  • Express ideas more clearly and confidently through the study of primary and secondary sources

Ways to take this course

Choose your path when you enroll.

Certificate

Free

Price

$149 USD

-

Access to course materials

Unlimited

Limited

Expires on Dec 26

World-class institutions and universities

edX support

Shareable certificate upon completion

Graded assignments and exams

Read our FAQsin a new tab about frequently asked questions on these tracks.

Interested in this course for your business or team?

Train your employees in the most in-demand topics, with edX For Business.