Jinling's Little Words

Author: Jiang Yin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: This collection is a compilation of reading over the years, loosely modeled after the style of Chibei Outan. It includes essays on literature, poetry, and history, discussing the past and present, exploring academic pursuits, and comprises thirteen volumes. It is both enjoyable and thought-provoking, showcasing the author's unique voice and literary craftsmanship. This collection is a compilation of reading over the years, loosely modeled after the style of Chibei Outan. It includes essays on literature, poetry, and history, discussing the past and present, exploring academic pursuits, and comprises thirteen volumes. It is both enjoyable and thought-provoking, showcasing the author's unique voice and literary craftsmanship.
It is already rare for contemporary writers to compose classical Chinese prose, and even rarer to write a multi-volume work entirely in classical Chinese. Jiang Yin, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has long been dedicated to classical literature. His classical Chinese notebook, Jinling Sheng Xiao Yan (Small Words on Jinling Life), can be considered a rare gem in the contemporary publishing industry. The book can broadly be divided into four categories: discussions on famous figures and anecdotes, bibliographic cataloging, literary and historical studies, and other miscellaneous topics.
In the academic sections, the author often offers insightful observations. Particularly noteworthy is his analysis of the Qing Dynasty's collection of classical texts, such as his examination of the publication and circulation of Qian Qianyi's Wu Zhi Ji. For general readers, the easiest volume to read is likely "Record of Scholars Outside the Forest," which is filled with academic gossip. For example, it recounts how a beautiful female editor invited Wang Hui to write an article, but Wang Hui's mentor told him to tidy up his appearance before attending a film premiere. However, after the premiere, the woman never appeared. That night, before going to bed, the mentor suddenly said to Wang Hui, "I wasted my time making you groom yourself." The anecdotes in the collection are largely of this nature.