2004 Literary Criticism

Author: Research Center for Modern Chinese Literature, Nanjing University
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Just as production requires consumption, literary creation also requires literary reading, and even more so, reading in a mature and profound sense—literary criticism. If literary activities lack this important component, literary production loses its interdependent subject and intrinsic driving force. "Sing and seek a friend's voice." The fundamental purpose of literary writing lies in achieving an ideal scenario of spiritual exchange between people. Excellent works allow both readers and critics to share the joy of "subtle understanding beyond words," while failed works demand critics to speak candidly, revealing shortcomings and pointing out issues, together experiencing the hardships of writing and the joy of mutual encouragement in overcoming difficulties. In either case, what we need is a healthy and mature criticism that is kind-hearted yet unyielding, vibrant yet not willful. By reviewing and selecting literary criticism every year, we aim to promote the maturation and perfection of criticism, thereby creating a favorable cultural ecological environment for literature in our time. This is precisely the purpose behind our unwavering effort to compile the annual literary criticism anthology, despite the hardships.