Following Garden Spirit

Author: Wang Yingzhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: This book is divided into three parts. The first part, titled "Old Tales of the Su Yuan," is a collection of anecdotes and commentaries on the life, friendships, creations, and thoughts of Yuan Mei, a renowned writer and thinker who resided in Su Yuan on Xiaocang Mountain in Jinling during the Qing Dynasty. Although it is just a glimpse, it offers a glimpse of the person Yuan Mei was. The second part, "Random Notes on Literature and History," mainly consists of reading notes on literature and history, covering reviews of famous literary figures, ancient culture, poetry, and poetics. It leans towards knowledge but also contains some academic content. The third part, "Book Ties and Teacher Friends," includes selected prefaces and postfaces from the author's own works, as well as reviews or reflections on several new publications, which have a slightly higher academic value. It also records anecdotes and personal stories of interactions with teachers and friends like Mr. Qian Zhonglian. The title "Su Yuan's Spirit" was kindly suggested by Mr. Xu Yan, and it is very fitting: not only does the book contain many chapters that reflect the spirit of Yuan Mei of Su Yuan, but the other articles are mostly expressions of my own spirit, fundamentally breaking away from aimless or self-pitying whining.