SKU: 88526776878

The Chan's Great Continent: China in Western Minds

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Description

The Chan's Great Continent: China in Western MindsChina has transfixed the West since the earliest contacts between these civilizations. With his characteristic elegance and insight, Jonathan Spence explores how the West has understood China over seven centuries. Ranging from Marco Polo's own depiction of China and the mighty Khan, Kublai, in the 1270s to the China sightings of three twentieth century writers of acknowledged genius Kafka, Borges, and Calvino Spence conveys Western thought on China

China has transfixed the West since the earliest contacts between these civilizations. With his characteristic elegance and insight, Jonathan Spence explores how the West has understood China over seven centuries. Ranging from Marco Polo's own depiction of China and the mighty Khan, Kublai, in the 1270s to the China sightings of three twentieth-century writers of acknowledged genius-Kafka, Borges, and Calvino-Spence conveys Western thought on China through a remarkable array of expression. Peopling Spence's account are Iberian adventurers, Enlightenment thinkers, spinners of the dreamy cult of Chinoiserie, and American observers such as Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Ezra Pound, and Eugene O'Neill. Taken together, these China sightings tell us as much about the self-image of the West as about China. "Wonderful. . . . Spence brilliantly demonstrates how] generation after generation of Westerners have] asked themselves, 'What is it . . . that held this astonishing, diverse, and immensely populous land together?' "--New York Times Book Review

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 10/17/1999
ISBN: 9780393319897
Pages: 279
Weight: 0.53lbs
Size: 8.52h x 5.21w x 0.78d

Review Citations: New York Times 11/14/1999 pg. 38
Ingram Advance 10/01/1999 pg. 150
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SKU: 88526776878

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Amazon Customer
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 4
Cute for coffee bar!
Color: Black, Number Of Shelves: 4, Size: 15.7in
Great for above my coffee bar. Easy to mount and align. Seems stable!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2026
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Samuel Roberts
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Great shelves, strong, secure, sturdy, decent size, unbeatable price.
Color: White, Number Of Shelves: 4, Size: 15.7in
Easy installation fits where we wanted them. Stable strong secure snug fit. Cleans easily with dust wipe. I would recommend buying these.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2026
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Clara
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 3
The shelves sag away from the wall overtime
Color: White, Number Of Shelves: 2, Size: 15.7in, Color: White, Number Of Shelves: 2, Size: 15.7in
Although the wood quality and finish of the shelf are clean and well-made, the main issue is that the shelves begin to sag over time while holding around 10 pounds, even though the product listing claims they can support up to 20 pounds. They may perform better on a brick wall, but on drywall you should be cautious. To fix the problem, I had to purchase floating shelf brackets for support, which solved the sagging issue. However, this defeats the purpose of the “floating” aesthetic. Since the shelf is in my bedroom, I can overlook it, but I personally wouldn’t install these in a common area if I wanted a clean floating look.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2026
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Mo
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Love this
Color: Rustic Brown, Number Of Shelves: 4, Size: 15.7in
Love these shelves so easy to put up so beautifully made and really enjoy the way they set on my wall very sturdy also!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2026
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Jason
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
Looks nice, easy to install
Color: Rustic Brown, Number Of Shelves: 2, Size: 22in
This shelf is lightweight, looks nice, and was easy to install. It comes with a little level to help you install it properly. There are plenty of mounting holes to choose from, so it is easy to screw it directly into a stud, or to just use holes that are convenient for you. It comes with a plethora of mounting hardware. I mounted mine a bit high up and chose to mount it upside down so that I wouldn't see the three screws that hold the shelf to the mounting bracket.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2026

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