Liang Shih-chiu (1903-1987), a literary critic and theorist of many talents, was the first person to translate the complete works of Shakespeare into Chinese. Literary historians remember him chiefly for his conservative leanings and his infamous "war of words" with Lu Xun, the acknowledged leader of leftist writers in the 1930s. From a Cottager's Sketchbook highlights Liang's versatility and literary style. The essays deal with familiar and timeless topics, tempering social satire of postwar China with light humor. At a time when the common cry was "to write as one would speak," and a...