Xuanhuan Novels in the Context of Consumerism: A Reflection on a Social Trend in Contemporary China

Yehan Wang

University of York, UK

Abstract

Xuanhuan novels are a representation of the commercialization of online literature within consumer society, and they are also an expression of the divisions that exist between the social structure and culture. The appearance of Xuanhuan novels reflects the change in a new generation of readers’ worldviews from a modern perception to a post-modern one. Xuanhuan novels combine characteristics of Eastern culture and Western imagination, generating a hybridity of the texts. This article analyzes Xuanhuan novels such as Eternal Love, The Journey of Flower, Mortal Xiuxian Biography, Jade Dynasty, Fighter of Destiny, and Joy of Life, and examines how these novels reflect the conceptualization of hierarchy, social trends, and globalization. Through the observation of online readers on Douban, this article explores the process of hybridization of cultural production and the reconstruction of the social value system by readers of Xuanhuan novels.

Keywords:

Xuanhuan novels, young generation, hierarchy structure, consumerism, hybridism

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Biographical Note

Yehan Wang is a doctoral candidate in the School of Sociology at the University of York, UK. Her research focuses on the interaction between politics, popular culture, and resistance. Email: joymix@gmail.com