A History of Modern Chinese Literary Criticism: The Peking University Series of Chinese Language and Literature Textbooks

Author: Wen Rumin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: The goal of this book is not to provide a panoramic scan of the detailed landscape of the history of modern Chinese literary criticism, but to focus on showcasing some of the most important "landmarks" in the field. It selectively discusses 14 representative critics and related critical schools, thereby offering an overview of the contours of modern critical history. The selection of these 14 critics was carefully considered. Many people engaged in criticism in modern times, but most were not critics in the pure sense. Some wrote numerous book reviews to explain works, while others published various opinions to participate in debates. However, most regarded criticism as an independent theoretical creation. Only a few were truly critics. By discussing 14 critics, the book also considers the broader context, including the dozens or hundreds of other critics around them, which involves the issue of determining "key points." Each discussion of a critic in the book takes into account its "position" within the entire critical framework. Where exactly does it stand in the history of criticism, and what are its relationships with other critical tendencies and schools? Etc. The critics discussed in this book are not arranged strictly in historical order, but the overall flow of the critical history is still largely discernible, especially the strengths and weaknesses of each school, as well as their relationships of opposition, complementarity, and cyclical structures. The 14 critics discussed in this book have rarely been the subject of specialized research. Even for critics who have already received some academic attention, the author still strives to delve deeper and propose certain new perspectives.