Poetic and Picturesque: Selected Essays and Sketches by Liang Zongdai

Author: Liang Zongdai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: The authors of the "Thief of Fire Series" are mostly prominent scholars of foreign literature. The 10 books include Feng Zhi's White Hair Turning Black Silk, Li Jianwu's Chewing Flowers and Random Recollections, Bian Zhilin's Echoes in a Humble Abode, Liang Zongdai's Poetic Emotion and Picturesque Art, Xiao Qian's Traveller's Footprints, Xu Yuanchong's On the Mountain Path, Lü Yuan's Collection of Fragrant Grass, Gao Mang's Vibrations of the Soul, Lan Yingnian's Breaths of History, and Liu Mingjiu's Up and Down the Mountains. For the deceased authors, their essays and photographs were selected and compiled by their families. "Lu Xun called those engaged in Western cultural research, translation, and introduction Prometheus-like 'thieves of fire,' and it is undoubtedly an honor for such people," Liu Mingjiu said. According to one of the editorial staff members, Gao Lizhi, each book in the series features more than 20 pages of photographs at the beginning and ends with an essay by the author, along with academic biographies, bibliographies of works and translations. The series planner, Han Jihai, believes that this collection of essays has three distinctive features. First, since the authors are all erudite scholars with expertise in both Eastern and Western cultures, their perspectives in the essays are broader, allowing them to discuss literary phenomena within a wider context. Second, due to their deep understanding of both Chinese and foreign cultures, their interpretation of literature is more profound and goes beyond the surface of the works. Third, their critiques of writers and literary works are incisive, both accurate and sharp.