A master of the modern short story and one of the finest Chinese prose stylists of all time, Shen Congwen (1902-1988) left a body of work acclaimed for its thematic and emotive range, its innovative literary beauty, and its continuing popularity and influence. Imperfect Paradise provides the most comprehensive and authoritative representation in English of the remarkable Shen Congwen canon, ranging from the polished stories that made him a serious contender for the Nobel literary prize in the 1980s to lesser known, extravagant experimental pieces.