BA JIN
Chengdu, Central China, 1919. The brothers Gao--Juexin, Juemin, and Juehui--live according to the traditions their family has followed for centuries. Four generations now live under the same roof, which gives Grandfather Gao, the clan's patriarch, a special pride. In the great family house, the older members continue their unmoved lives as if nothing were changing; as if General Zhang's troops, preparing a new attack at the gates of the city, could not reach them; as if the new airs from books and magazines weren't transforming their existence. The three Gao brothers are in agreement that the old traditions--arranged marriage, outdated rituals, and foot binding and long hair requirements for women--lack meaning, but not everyone has the strength necessary to rebel. Published for the first time in 1931, u003ciu003eFamiliau003c/iu003e portrays the disintegration of Feudalism in China at the beginning of the 20th century and is considered one of the most important works of contemporary Chinese literature.