The History of Modern Society's Corruption was another masterpiece by Wu Jianren, a celebrated novelist of the late Qing dynasty, written after Strange Events Eyewitnessed in the Past Twenty Years. It was completed in 1910, the second year of the Xuantong reign.
Continuing the author's keen observations and incisive criticism of social realities, the novel takes "the strange state of affairs over the past decade" as its thread. Through a series of interconnected stories, it exposes the many abuses and absurdities in officialdom, commerce, and everyday life during the social transformation of the late Qing dynasty.
The novel centers on the experiences of its protagonist, Yu Yousheng, also known as Nine Lives, and weaves in a cast of colorful characters, including Yi Ziliu, Qiao Ziqian, Chen Yutang, and Lu Weiyuan.
The book offers sharp satire of official corruption and commercial fraud, as well as a profound lament for human hypocrisy and the fickleness of society. Beneath its wit and invective, it also reflects the author's earnest desire to "correct folly and reform the stubborn."
With his deft use of the traditional chaptered narrative, vivid characterizations, and language steeped in its era, Wu Jianren lays bare the dark side of late Qing society.
This book is not only an important literary source for the study of late Qing society, but also an outstanding example of modern Chinese satirical fiction, with considerable literary and historical significance.
