Classical Chinese Novel Popular Library -- A Journey to the West

Author: Liu E (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: In August 1903, Liu E's Lao Can You Ji (A Journey to the West) was first serialized in Xiu Xiang Xue Bao (Illustrated Fiction). With its unique concept and elegant writing, it elevated late Qing Dynasty fiction to a new level. As an enlightened, progressive industrialist with a passion for enriching the nation and saving its people, Liu E's career was fraught with difficulties and repeated failures. Lao Can You Ji was a work born out of his grief for the fate of China and his own destiny, hoping to awaken the sleeping masses and remedy the fractured nation. Lao Can You Ji criticized the corruption of the late Qing Dynasty society, with a more unique perspective, exposing the vices of so-called "honest officials" and the incompetence of so-called "good officials," directly targeting the pillars of feudal political rule—. The descriptive art of Lao Can You Ji was praised from the moment it was published. Whether it was the depiction of landscapes or the portrayal of characters, whether it was the exploration of psychological activity or the creation of atmosphere, Liu E's writing was effortless, fresh, simple, vivid, and full of life. Hu Shi said: Lao Can You Ji excels in its descriptive techniques. Whether writing about people or landscapes, the author avoids clichés and always seeks to create fresh, on-the-ground descriptions. In this regard, the book can be said to be unprecedented.