THE INTERNET NOVEL IN MAINLAND CHINA: A NEW TREND IN CHINESE LITERATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

Internet novel has formed a new trend in Chinese literature, changing the literary and cultural landscape of mainland China in the 21st century. This essay takes The Legend in Pavilion (小樓傳說) and A Devil Sold for One Coin per Pound (一銀幣一磅的 惡魔) as examples to explore how Chinese internet novel expands the dynamic between author, text, and reader by offering a space for readers to influence and shape the texts the author is creating on certain websites. Through hyperlinks, comments, and polls, the readers of The Legend in Pavilion can actually take part in the creation of this novel. A Devil Sold for One Coin per Pound shows another way of readers’ participation. Like video games, this novel provides readers various clear choices. During the reading process, readers can control the development of the novel by choosing from those options. Instead of arranging all of the elements in a fixed linear pattern, internet novel is presented in a non-linear and interactive form.