Cool breeze criticizes The Story of the Stone

Author: Wu Jingzi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: This book combines three forms—preface, marginal annotations, and post-chapter reviews—to create a complete critical system. The preface serves as the "reading method" of old times, providing readers with a macro understanding and recognition of the author and the book. The marginal annotations primarily critique words, sentences, and paragraphs, occasionally interspersed with running reviews, focusing on elucidating the hidden satire and implications. The post-chapter reviews, attached to each chapter, focus on commenting on the book's themes, the connections and transitions between chapters, the characterization, and the techniques of structure and composition. They also involve cross-referencing historical details to substantiate the text and vice versa, complementing history and literature, with the aim of helping readers gain a deeper appreciation and understanding, while also providing new topics, perspectives, and approaches for researchers. The four most important critical editions of The Story of the Scholars are: the Commentary from the Roosting Hermit's Studio, the Commentary by Huang Xiaotian, the Commentary from Qi Shengtang, and the Commentary by Tianmushan Qiao (Zhang Wenhu). Due to changes in the times, social development, and the limitations of the critics' aesthetic perspectives, their critiques can no longer serve as guides for today's readers. Moreover, the subtle satire embedded in the text of The Story of the Scholars, as well as the profound meanings hidden within its artistic images, cannot be adequately discussed or explained through essays or annotations. Therefore, employing China's traditional commentary forms while integrating contemporary aesthetic perspectives can offer readers multiple layers of insights into this book.