Lü Xun's Prose: Illustrated Treasures Edition

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The beauty of the prose and the elegance of the illustrations complement each other, making it both a masterpiece for appreciation and a fine choice for collection and gifting. Chinese prose has a long and profound history. Over thousands of years of prose creation, whether expressing emotions, stating intentions, depicting scenes, or remembering people, it has reflected the changes of the times and the thoughts and feelings of the people. In the new literature of the 20th century, these fine traditions of Chinese prose have not only been fully inherited but have also continued to innovate and develop. To showcase the achievements of Chinese prose creation since the 20th century, we edited and published the "Treasures of Chinese Prose" in the early days of the new century, totaling thirty volumes. Five years have passed, and on this basis, we have carefully compiled this "Illustrated Treasures of Chinese Prose," consisting of sixteen volumes. Through further selection, this series not only adds over 50,000 new words to each volume but also accompanies them with precious photographs reflecting the authors' life journeys. Truly, the beauty of the prose and the elegance of the illustrations complement each other, making it both a masterpiece for appreciation and a fine choice for collection and gifting.
Lu Xun's works vary greatly in content and form. His prose includes collections that express emotions and state intentions, narrative prose that recounts and remembers people, and essays that critique society, all of which have achieved great success. In terms of form, Lu Xun's prose is even more diverse, showcasing extraordinary techniques and artistic expressions. Taking his prose collection "Dusk Blossoms Plucked at Dawn" as an example, from an artistic perspective, it is primarily narrative, combining narration with emotions, descriptions, and arguments. In the beautiful, poetic narration, sharp critiques often appear like daggers, and techniques such as irony, humor, and sarcasm are frequently used. Combined with natural and simple language and perfect white-wash techniques, it forms a unique artistic style. With his humorous and satirical pen, Lu Xun concisely expresses profound philosophies, leaving readers to ponder endlessly. For instance, each piece in "Wild Grass" conveys a "small feeling" rich in philosophical meaning, but the author endows these "small feelings" with vibrant and diverse artistic imagery. He boldly employs extraordinary and unique artistic concepts, using the fantastical to convey the real, and strongly expresses his "small feelings" in exaggerated forms, blending solemnity with humor, and subtlety with wit. By humorously portraying common phenomena in life, he achieves satirical effects.
Most of Lu Xun's prose is grand in scope and profound in reasoning, often overwhelming opponents with irrefutable logic, displaying a boundless artistic style. In "Further Thoughts on the Collapse of the Leifeng Pagoda," for example, Lu Xun simply states that the pagoda collapsed "because the villagers believed that placing its bricks in their homes would bring peace, good fortune, and turn misfortune into good luck. So this one was dug, and that one was dug, and after much digging, it collapsed." This typical example reveals the traditional flaws of the Chinese people: superstition, ignorance, and "servile destruction." In the text, Lu Xun uses historical events and figures from ancient and modern times to argue his points, making the content deeper and more powerful.
Lu Xun's prose has a strong sense of imagery, with direct descriptions such as in "In Memory of Liu Hezhen," where he simply and directly portrays the image of Liu Hezhen, a student killed in the "Female Normal University Incident," as follows: "I usually thought that a student who could not be bowed down by power and who resisted a powerful and influential principal must be sharp and fierce, but she often smiled and had a very gentle attitude, so we met more often, and she still smiled and maintained a gentle attitude." As for the vivid metaphors, they are everywhere, each carrying profound and typical significance.