Abstract
This chapter first discusses in detail the “push” and “pull” factors for Lin Yutang’s decision to move to the USA, which was originally planned for a short stay of a couple of years. Then it uncovers the background and the process of writing The Importance of Living and its warm reception in America. It became the No. 1 bestseller for nonfiction in 1938, an unprecedented record for a Chinese writer in the America. The Importance of Living not only made Lin Yutang a household name as a “Chinese philosopher” in the America, but also afforded him a highly respected position in the American intellectual world.
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Qian, S. (2017). Coming to America: The Birth of a “Chinese Philosopher”. In: Lin Yutang and China’s Search for Modern Rebirth. Canon and World Literature. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4657-5_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4657-5_7
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