A Concise Introduction to Foreign Literature · Western and European Part

Author: Zhu Weizhi et al. (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: July 1, 2004
Features: With over two decades of academic heritage, five meticulous revisions, and nearly two million copies in print—this is a cross-era teaching masterpiece that has stood the test of time while continuously tracking academic progress and has been widely welcomed by generations of readers. Organized along the timeline as the longitude and the intellectual trends as the latitude, it presents a clear historical outline, emphasizing the continuity of traditions; it highlights key points with in-depth analysis, and its thought-provoking questions stimulate creative thinking, while the reading list emphasizes textual focus—making it an excellent textbook suitable for both inspirational teaching and systematic self-study. For this revision, in addition to a thorough review of the entire book, the following adjustments were made based on the fourth edition:
1. Rewritten "Introduction";
2. Added three-level headings in the "Table of Contents";
3. Expanded and revised the chapter summaries to enhance the historical narrative;
4. Added a section on "Maugham" in the "Middle Part";
5. Focused on significant additions and deletions in the "Lower Part":
(1) Divided the 20th century into early and late periods, then organized chapters by intellectual trends;
(2) Removed the sections on "Zweig" and "Mayakovsky," while adding four new sections on "Pasternak," "Brecht," "Bellow," and "Camus";
6. Added a new "Discussion Questions" section after each chapter to better align with teaching needs, with the hope that these questions will inspire creative thinking among teachers and students rather than focus on exam-oriented answers;
7. Compiled a "Top 100 Reading List" as an appendix for reference.
For this revision, the editorial committee was composed of members from the original editorial board in Beijing: Kuang Xing, Chen [Name], Li Mingbin, Xu Jing'an, and Huang Jinkai, who reviewed and revised the entire book. The final version was edited by the executive editor-in-chief, Huang Jinkai. The China Renmin University Press provided strong support for this revision, and editor Chen Zechun offered many valuable suggestions and opinions while coordinating significant efforts. We extend our gratitude to all involved.