Yasuo's Small Pieces of Life

Author: Liang Shiqiu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: It is not easy to select the works of a master. The vast two million words of his masterpiece reflect the experiences of life in every article, and every stroke embodies Liang Shiqiu—this master of prose of his generation. My selection is not about confining myself to a small room in time and space. There is a mysterious force that flows from the distant past, from the purity of moonlight, compelling me into a dialogue with the master’s soul, allowing me to feel his "transcendence into simplicity" in his literary essays and love-themed chapters. Following his heart’s journey, I see him shift from "serving the world" to "cultivating oneself in solitude," devoted to aesthetically enjoying life, writing joy from sorrow and wisdom from pain. Born in Beijing in January 1903, his ancestral home was Hang County, Zhejiang (now Yuhang); in 1923, he graduated from Tsinghua and went abroad to study English and Anglo-American literature. Upon returning in 1926, he taught at several universities in northern and southern China. In the 1930s, he became a key member of the famous literary group "The Crescent Society." In 1938, he moved to Sichuan and resided in Beibei, Chongqing. In 1948, he went to Shanghai, then Guangzhou, and finally Taiwan, where he remained until his passing in November 1987. As a typical modern Chinese free intellectual, Liang Shiqiu "wrote for self-entertainment in his long days, jotting down thoughts as they came, without regard for length or structure," leaving behind an unparalleled legacy such as Winter Night Critiques of Grass, The Art of Insulting, The Discipline of Literature, Collected Prejudices, Critical Essays on Literature, Yashu, Talks on Xu Zhimo, Eight Years at Tsinghua, Miscellaneous Writings from Autumn Chamber, Reminiscences of Autumn Chamber, Dreams of Huayuan, A Collection of Essays, Liang Shiqiu’s Notes, The White Cat Prince and Other Stories, Yashu Talks on Eating, A History of English Literature, and the Chinese translation of The Complete Works of Shakespeare. His eldest daughter, Ms. Liang Wenqian, told me: "My father’s works have been published in numerous versions, both large and small, in China and have remained bestsellers. Among them, Yashu has over 300 versions both domestically and internationally, which fully demonstrates the readers’ love for his works.