Shen Congwen Volume. China's 20th Century Best Essays Series

Author: Lin Fei (Editor-in-Chief) / Shen Congwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The prose works created by Shen Congwen during the years when he was "more mature in writing" and had "the most vibrant life force" are the artistic crystallization of his exploration of the mysteries of life. At this time, he had already positioned his artistic mission as the exploration of life. He delved into "love" to probe the depth of life. He believed, "Love is a way of life, and not many people truly understand it." The artistic ideal he silently pursued was, "I truly need 'tranquility' to cultivate 'knowledge,' inspire 'wisdom,' and comprehend the relative meanings of words like 'love' and 'resentment.' After gaining a deeper understanding, I will use it to reinterpret 'humanity' once more, transcending the secular love, hatred, joy, and sorrow, and exploring the depths of the human soul or the boundaries of consciousness to discover 'humanity,' and perhaps reveal new forms of 'love' and 'death.' This work will inevitably expand that 'I,' occupying a larger space or a longer time." ("The Five Lights of Candle Shadow") Understanding and comprehending Shen Congwen's artistic philosophy is essential for us to grasp and evaluate the connotations of his prose thought and aesthetic value more accurately.