2004 China Essay Rankings

Author: Zhou Ming, edited by Wang Zongren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This is a rather special selection. Typically, annual selections categorize essays, (literary sketches), and (miscellaneous essays) into separate volumes. However, we are in an era of information explosion and rapid advancement, where readers need to access the year's best essays in a more efficient time frame. Therefore, we have combined the three into one. We designate essays that focus on (emotional expression), (describing scenery), and (portraying people) as (beautiful prose), and group them together with and under the broader category of (prose). This is what we call the "general concept" of prose. To better organize the year's prose creation and provide readers at different levels with more choices, we have selected 10 , 5, and 5 , listing them in a "ranking." Works not included in the "ranking" are listed as (excellent works) afterward. The year's prose creation is a dazzling display of talent, and it is inevitable that some works have been overlooked. Moreover, the evaluation of a literary work is subjective—whether included in the "ranking" or listed as an "excellent work" reflects our perspective and serves merely as a message to readers, providing a reference for their reading.