1927年陳子展在南國藝術學院任教，受命講授「中國近代文學之變遷」，並寫下最初的兩部中國近代文學史作：《中國近代文學之變遷》（1929）與《最近三十年中國文學史》（1930）。作為近代文學史敘述的一種出發，這兩部書脫離不了簡略的講義性質，然則當陳氏試圖為近代文學做下確切的定義，標舉其具轉型的徵象，也就為近代文學與近代文學史的研究開啟了關鍵性的一頁。綜觀陳子展對這三十年（1898-1928）文學所進行的論述，主要是抓住了「變遷」的特點，從變的角度去觀看近代文學所扮演的位置。全書大體均衡地呈顯了近代文學的風貌，也讓五四前的革新成為文學革命的先聲，賦予近代文學轉型的意義與地位。

Zizhan Chen began teaching at Nanguo Art Academy in 1927 and was appointed to give a course on the Transition of Modern Chinese Literature, as the first study on modern literature in history. It was at Nanguo that he completed the ”Transition of Modern Chinese Literature” (1929) and the ”History of Chinese Literautre in the last thirty years” (1930), which encompasses the concise academic notes that were originally prepared for his brief course. With the single intention of setting up an accurate definition for modern literature, Chen identified the significance of literary transition and, as a result, set a notable beginning for research on modern literature and the history of literature. In view of Chen's discourse on the 30 years about literature (1898-1928), he mastered the true essence of ”transition” and, as a result, clearly outlined the role of modern literature in a transitional state. By presenting the general features and structures of modern literature, the book served as a leading advocator to the literary revolution before the start of the May Fourth Movement while defining the significance and role of modern literature in transition.