Complex sentence: The novel spans four decades of Chinese history beginning with the creation of the People's Republic in 1949, then difficult periods of land reform, as well as famine, the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward.
Split into simpler sentences: The novel spans four decades of Chinese history beginning with the creation of the People's Republic in 1949. This time included difficult periods of land reform in China, as well as famine, the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward.